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si·moom

(sĭ-mm) also si·moon (-mn)

A strong, hot, sand-laden wind of the Sahara and Arabian Deserts: "Stephen's heart had withered up like a flower of the desert that feels the simoom coming from afar" (James Joyce). Also called samiel.

[Arabic samūm, from samma, to poison, from Aramaic sammā, drug, poison; see śmm in the Appendix of Semitic roots.]

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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