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aer·ie or aer·y also ey·rie or ey·ry

(ârē, îrē)

n. pl. aer·ies also ey·ries

1. The nest of a bird, such as an eagle, built on a cliff or other high place.

2. A house or stronghold perched on a height.

[Medieval Latin aeria, from Old French aire, aerie, origin, family (probably influenced by Latin ārea, open space, threshing floor, and āerius, aerial), from Latin ager, field; see agro- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.]

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aerie

osprey nest

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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