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cen·sus

(sĕnsəs)

1. An official, usually periodic enumeration of a population, often including the collection of related demographic information.

2. In ancient Rome, a count of the citizens and an evaluation of their property for taxation purposes.

tr.v. cen·sused, cen·sus·ing, cen·sus·ed

To include in a census; conduct a census of: "Every plant one centimeter in diameter or larger is censused every five years" (John P. Wiley, Jr.)

[Latin cēnsus, registration of citizens, from cēnsēre, to assess; see kens- in the Appendix of Indo-European 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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