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hes·per·id·i·um

(hĕs′pə-rĭdē-əm)

n. pl. hes·per·id·i·a(-ē-ə)

A berry having a thickened leathery rind and juicy pulp divided into segments, as an orange or other citrus fruit.

[New Latin, from Hesperideae, former order containing the genus Citrus, named by Carl Linnaeus after Latin Hesperidēs, the Hesperides (who tended trees bearing golden apples), from Greek Hesperides; see HESPERIDES.]

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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