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Al·gol

(ălgŏl′, -gôl′)

A binary, eclipsing variable star in the constellation Perseus, almost as bright as Polaris.

[Arabic (ra's) al-ġūl, (head) of the ghoul : al-, the + ġūl, ghoul (so called because the star was considered to represent the head of Medusa held by Perseus); see ġwl in the Appendix of Semitic 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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