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sem·i·nar·y

(sĕmə-nĕr′ē)

n. pl. sem·i·nar·ies

a. A school, especially a theological school for the training of clergy.

b. A school of higher education, especially a private school for young women in the 1800s.

2. A place or environment in which something is developed or nurtured.

[Middle English, seed plot, from Latin sēminārium, from sēminārius, of seed, from sēmen, sēmin-, seed; see sē- 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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