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sor·rel¹

(sôrəl, sŏr-)

1. Any of several plants of the genus Rumex that have sour leaves, especially the Eurasian species R. acetosa, sometimes grown for its edible leaves, and R. acetosella, widely naturalized worldwide. Also called dock⁴.

2. See oxalis.

[Middle English sorel, from Old French surele, from sur, sour, of Germanic origin.]

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.

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