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mir·a·cle

(mĭrə-kəl)

1. An event that appears inexplicable by the laws of nature and so is held to be supernatural in origin or an act of God.

2. One that excites admiring awe; a wonderful or amazing event, act, person, or thing. See Synonyms at wonder.

3. A miracle play.

[Middle English, from Old French, from Latin mīrāculum, from mīrārī, to wonder at, from mīrus, wonderful; see smei- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.]

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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