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si·lique

(sĭ-lēk) or sil·i·qua (sĭlĭ-kwə)

n. pl. siliques or sil·i·quae (-kwē)

A dehiscent elongated fruit, characteristic of the mustard family, having two valves that fall away leaving a central partition as the fruit dries.

[French, from Old French, from Latin siliqua, seed pod.]

sili·quous (sĭlĭ-kwəs), sili·quose′ (-kwōs′) adj.

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silique

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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