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mag·got

(măgət)

1. The legless, soft-bodied, wormlike larva of any of various dipteran flies, often found in decaying matter.

2. Slang A despicable person.

3. Archaic An extravagant notion; a whim.

[Middle English magot, perhaps alteration of mathek, maddokk, perhaps from Old English matha.]

maggot·y adj.

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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