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mo·di·o·lus

(mō-dīə-ləs)

n. pl. mo·di·o·li (-lī′)

The central, conical, bony core of the cochlea.

[Latin, socket, hub, diminutive of modius, a measure of grain, measuring vessel; see med- 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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