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hip·po·griff also hip·po·gryph

(hĭpə-grĭf′)

n.
Mythology

A monster having the wings, claws, and head of a griffin and the body and hindquarters of a horse.

[French hippogriffe, from Italian ippogrifo : Greek hippos, horse; see ekwo- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots + Italian grifo, griffin (from Latin grȳphus; see GRIFFIN).]

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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