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ser·if

(sĕrĭf)

A fine line finishing off the main strokes of a letter, as at the top and bottom of M.

[Perhaps from Dutch schreef, line, from Middle Dutch scrēve, from scriven, to write, from Latin scrībere; see skrībh- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.]

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serif

left: serif typeface

right: sans serif typeface

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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