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in·ro

(ĭnrō)

n. pl. inro

A small, usually ornamented box that is hung from the waist sash of a Japanese kimono and has compartments for holding small objects such as cosmetics, perfumes, or medicines.

[Japanese inrō : in, stamp, seal (from Middle Chinese ʔjin`; also the source of Mandarin, yìn) + rō, bamboo box, envelop (from Middle Chinese ləwŋ´; also the source of Mandarin, lǒng).]

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inro

1685 Japanese red and black lacquer inro by Shibata Zeshin

(1807-1891)

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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