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Mi·zar

(mīzär′)

The binary star in the middle of the handle of the Big Dipper, in the constellation Ursa Major, approximately 78 light years from Earth.

[New Latin, from Arabic mi'zar, covering, apron (used as the name of the star Beta Andromeda, representing part of Andromeda's apron or girdle, but later applied to the star Mizar by Joseph Justus Scaliger, by confusion with an earlier name of Mizar, Mirak), from 'azara, to surround; see ʾzr 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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