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pal·a·tine 1 (pălə-tīn)
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n.
1.
a. A soldier of the palace guard of the Roman emperors, formed in the time of Diocletian.
b. A soldier of a major division of the Roman army formed in the time of Constantine I.
2. Used as a title for various administrative officials of the late Roman and Byzantine empires.
3. A feudal lord exercising sovereign power over his lands. Also called palsgrave.
adj.
1. Belonging to or fit for a palace.
2. Of or relating to a palatine or palatinate.

[From Middle English, ruled by an independent lord, from Old French palatin, from Late Latin palātīnus, palace official, from Latin palātīnus, from Palātium, imperial residence; see PALACE.]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

    Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

    Indo-European Roots

    Semitic Roots

    The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.