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sham·rock

(shămrŏk′)

1. A plant having compound leaves with three small leaflets, especially a clover or wood sorrel.

2. The compound leaf of one of these plants.

3. A representation of one of these plants or leaves, used as a national emblem of Ireland.

[Irish Gaelic seamróg, diminutive of seamar, clover, from Middle Irish semar; probably akin to Old Norse smári, clover, and of non-Indo-European substrate origin.]

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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