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poin·set·ti·a

(poin-sĕtē-ə, -sĕtə)

A shrub (Euphorbia pulcherrima) native to Mexico that has a cluster of small yellow flowers surrounded by showy, usually scarlet petal-like bracts.

[New Latin, after Joel Roberts Poinsett (1779-1851), American diplomat who sent samples of the plant to the United States while in Mexico.]

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poinsettia

Euphorbia pulcherrima

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:

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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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