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EMU

abbr.

European Monetary Union

e·mu

(ēmy)

A large, flightless Australian bird (Dromaius novaehollandiae) that has shaggy brown plumage and is raised for its meat, oil, and leather.

[Early Modern English emia, emeu, cassowary, from Portuguese ema, rhea, from earlier, ostrich, perhaps from Arabic na‘āma, ostrich (akin to Aramaic na‘‘āmā).]

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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