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def·lo·ra·tion

(dĕf′lə-rāshən)

1. The act of deflowering.

2. Rupture of the hymen, typically in sexual intercourse.

[Middle English defloracioun, from Late Latin dēflōrātiō, dēflōrātiōn-, from dēflōrātus, past participle of dēflōrāre, to deflower; see DEFLOWER.]

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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