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a·liz·a·rin

(ə-lĭzər-ĭn) also a·liz·a·rine (-ĭn, -ə-rēn′)

An orange-red crystalline compound, C₁₄H₈O₄, used as an acid-base indicator and in making dyes.

[French alizarine, from alizari, madder root, from Spanish, probably from Arabic al-'uṣāra, the juice : al-, the + 'uṣāra, juice (from 'aṣara, to squeeze; see ʿṣr 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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