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ma·try·osh·ka

(mä′trē-ōshkə)

A nesting doll that is part of a set and is decorated with the features of a woman in traditional Russian dress.

[Russian matrëška, from diminutive of Matrëna, feminine personal name (associated in popular tradition with the mothers of large peasant families), from earlier Matrona, ultimately from Latin mātrōna, matron; see MATRON.]

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matryoshka

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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