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prie-dieu

(prē-dyœ)

n. pl. prie-dieus or prie-dieux (-dyœz)

1. A narrow, desklike kneeling bench with space above for a book or the elbows, for use by a person at prayer.

2. An armless, upholstered chair with a high straight back and a low seat.

[French prie-Dieu : prier, to pray (from Old French, from Latin precārī; see PRAY) + Dieu, God (from Old French; see ADIEU).]

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prie-dieu

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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