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pi·ta ¹

(pētə)

A round flat bread of Middle Eastern origin that can be opened to form a pocket for filling. Also called pocket bread.

[Modern Greek pita, pie, cake, bread, from Medieval Greek, perhaps of Germanic origin; akin to Old High German bizzo, pizzo, bite, morsel; see bheid- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.]

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pita1

pi·ta²

(pētə)

1. Any of several agaves that yield strong leaf fibers. Also called istle.

2. The fiber of any of these plants, used in making cordage and paper.

[Spanish, perhaps of Taíno origin; perhaps akin to Taíno pitahaya, pitahaya.]

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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