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na·ta·to·ri·al

(nā′tə-tôrē-əl, năt′ə-) also na·ta·to·ry (nātə-tôr′ē, nătə-)

adj.

Of, relating to, adapted for, or characterized by swimming: a natatorial appendage; natatorial birds.

[From Late Latin natātōrius, from Latin natātor, swimmer, from natātus, past participle of natāre, frequentative of nāre, to swim; see snā- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.]

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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