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quin·cunx

(kwĭnkŭngks′)

An arrangement of five objects or marks with one at each corner of a rectangle or square and one at the center.

[Latin quīncūnx, quīncūnc-, five twelfths : quīnque, five; see penk^we in the Appendix of Indo-European roots + ūncia, twelfth part of a unit; see OUNCE¹.]

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quincunx

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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