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in·noc·u·ous

(ĭ-nŏky-əs)

adj.

1. Having no adverse effect; harmless.

2. Not likely to offend or provoke to strong emotion; insipid.

[From Latin innocuus : in-, not; see IN-¹ + nocuus, harmful (from nocēre, to harm; see nek-¹ in the Appendix of Indo-European roots).]

in·nocu·ous·ly adv.

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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