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tet·ra

(tĕtrə)

Any of numerous small colorful tropical freshwater fishes chiefly of the family Characidae, such as the neon tetra, often kept in home aquariums.

[Short for New Latin Tetragōnopterīnī, group name : Late Latin tetragōnum, tetragon; see TETRAGON + Greek pteron, wing.]

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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