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roe

(rō)

1. The eggs or spawn of a fish, contained within or separated from the ovary, especially when prepared as food. Also called hard roe.

2. The milt-containing testes of a fish, especially when prepared as food. Also called soft roe.

3. The eggs or gonads of certain marine invertebrates, such as a lobster or a sea urchin.

[Late Middle English row, possibly from Middle Dutch roge or from an unattested Old English cognate of Middle Dutch roge; akin to German Rogen and Old Norse hrogn.]

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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