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deb·o·nair also deb·o·naire

(dĕb′ə-nâr)

adj.

1. Sophisticated; urbane.

2. Gracious and charming in a cheerful, carefree way.

[Middle English debonaire, gracious, kindly, from Old French, from de bon aire, of good lineage or disposition : de, of (from Latin dē; see DE-) + bon, bonne, good (from Latin bonus; see deu-² in the Appendix of Indo-European roots) + aire, nest, family; see AERIE.]

deb′o·nairly adv.

deb′o·nairness n.

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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