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dam·age

(dămĭj)

1. Destruction or a loss in value, usefulness, or ability resulting from an action or event.

2. damages Law Money required to be paid as compensation for an injury or wrong.

3. Informal Cost; price: What's the damage for the tickets to the show?

v. dam·aged, dam·ag·ing, dam·ag·es

v.tr.

To cause damage to.

v.intr.

To suffer or be susceptible to damage.

[Middle English, from Old French : dam, loss (from Latin damnum) + -age, -age.]

dam′age·a·bili·ty n.

damage·a·ble adj.

damag·ing·ly adv.

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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