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spike²

(spīk)

1. An ear of grain, as of wheat.

2. Botany A usually elongated, unbranched inflorescence with stalkless flowers arranged along an axis.

[Middle English, from Latin spīca.]

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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