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di·no·flag·el·late

(dī′nō-flăjə-lĭt, -lāt′, -flə-jĕlĭt)

Any of numerous minute, chiefly marine protists of the phylum Dinoflagellata, characteristically having two flagella and a cellulose covering and forming one of the chief constituents of plankton. They include bioluminescent species, photosynthetic species, and species that produce red tide.

[From New Latin Dīnoflagellāta, class name : Greek dīnos, whirling (from dīnein, to whirl) + Latin flagellum, flagellum; see FLAGELLUM.]

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dinoflagellate

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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