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al·mond

(ämənd, äl-, ôl-)

a. A deciduous tree (Prunus dulcis) in the rose family, native to Asia and northern Africa and having alternate, simple leaves, pink flowers, and leathery fruits.

b. The ellipsoidal kernel of this tree, either eaten as a nut or used for extraction of an oil for flavoring.

2. Any of several other plants, such as the Indian almond, especially those with fruits or seeds suggestive of the almond.

3. Something having the oval form of an almond.

4. A pale tan.

[Middle English almande, from Old French, from Late Latin amandula, alteration of Latin amygdala, from Greek amugdalē.]

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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