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fame (fām)
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n.
1.
a. The state of being widely known, widely recognized, or of great popular interest: a singer of international fame.
b. Public estimation; reputation: a politician of ill fame.
2. Archaic Rumor.
tr.v. famed, fam·ing, fames
1. To make renowned or famous.
2. Archaic To report to be: "The fancy cannot cheat so well / As she is famed to do" (John Keats).
[Middle English, from Old French, from Latin fāma; see bhā-2 in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2020 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
 

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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