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fleur-de-lis or fleur-de-lys

(flûr′də-lē, flr′-)

n. pl. fleurs-de-lis or fleurs-de-lys (flûr′də-lēz, flr′-)

1. An iris.

a. Heraldry A device consisting of a stylized three-petaled iris flower, used as the armorial emblem of the kings of France.

b. A similar design used as a decorative motif.

[Middle English flour de lice, from Old French flor de lis : flor, flower + de, of + lis, lily.]

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fleur-de-lis

sterling silver brooch by Francisco Rebajes

(1905?-1990)

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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