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de·sist

(dĭ-sĭst, -zĭst)

intr.v. de·sist·ed, de·sist·ing, de·sists

To cease doing something. See Synonyms at stop.

[Middle English desisten, from Old French desister, from Latin dēsistere : dē-, de- + sistere, to bring to a standstill; see stā- 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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