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fond¹

(fŏnd)

adj. fond·er, fond·est

1. Having a strong liking, inclination, or affection: fond of ballet; fond of my nieces and nephews.

2. Affectionate; tender: a fond embrace.

3. Immoderately affectionate or indulgent; doting: fond grandparents who tended to spoil the child.

4. Cherished; dear: my fondest hopes.

5. Archaic Naively credulous or foolish.

[Middle English fonned, foolish, probably from past participle of fonnen, to be foolish, probably from fonne, fool.]

fondly adv.

fondness n.

fond²

(fŏnd)

The background of a design in lace.

[French, from Old French fonds, fond, from Latin fundus, bottom.]

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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