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cit·a·del

(sĭtə-dəl, -dĕl′)

1. A fortress in a commanding position in or near a city.

2. A stronghold or fortified place; a bulwark.

[French citadelle, from Italian cittadella, diminutive of città, city, from Latin cīvitās; see CITY.]

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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