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pu·ta·men

(py-tāmən)

n. pl. pu·tam·i·na (-tămə-nə)

1. The hard endocarp of certain fruits; pyrene.

2. The reddish, outermost, and largest of the three portions into which the lentiform nucleus of the brain is divided.

[Latin putāmen, that which falls off in pruning, shell, husk, from putāre, to prune; see pau-² in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.]

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putamen

of a peach

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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