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a·crop·o·lis

(ə-krŏpə-lĭs)

1. The fortified height or citadel of an ancient Greek city.

2. A raised area holding a building or cluster of buildings, especially in a pre-Columbian city.

[Greek akropolis : akron, top; see ACROMEGALY + polis, city; see pelə-³ in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.]

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acropolis

the Parthenon at the Acropolis

Athens, Greece

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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