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do·na·tion

(dō-nāshən)

1. The act of giving to a fund or cause.

2. A gift or grant.

[Middle English donacioun, gift, benefice, from Old French, from Latin dōnātiō, dōnātiōn-, from dōnātus, past participle of dōnāre, to give, from dōnum, gift; see dō- 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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