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an·ne·lid

(ănə-lĭd)

Any of various worms or wormlike animals of the phylum Annelida, characterized by an elongated, cylindrical, segmented body and including the earthworms and the leeches.

[From New Latin Annelida, phylum name, from French annelés, pl. past participle of anneler, to ring, from Old French anel, ring, from Latin ānellus, diminutive of ānus, ring.]

an·neli·dan (ə-nĕlĭ-dən) adj.

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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