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ten·on

(tĕnən)

A projection on the end of a piece of wood shaped for insertion into a mortise to make a joint.

tr.v. ten·oned, ten·on·ing, ten·ons

1. To provide with a tenon.

2. To join with a tenon.

[Middle English, from Old French, from tenir, to hold, from Latin tenēre; see ten- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.]

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tenon

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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