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cir·cum·val·late (sûr′kəm-vălāt′)
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tr.v. cir·cum·val·lat·ed, cir·cum·val·lat·ing, cir·cum·val·lates
To surround with or as if with a rampart.
adj.
1. (also -ĭt) Surrounded with or as if with a rampart.
2. Anatomy Surrounded by a ridge or raised, wall-like structure.
[Latin circumvallāre, circumvallāt- : circum-, circum- + vallum, rampart with palisades (from vallus, post, stake).]
cir′cum·val·lation n.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2020 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
 

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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