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ar·e·ole

(ârē-ōl′)

1. A small, specialized, cushionlike area on a cactus from which hairs, glochids, spines, branches, or flowers may arise.

2. See areola.

[French aréole, from Latin āreola, small open space; see AREOLA.]

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areole

Cereus fernambucensis

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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