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tor·sade

(tôr-säd, -sād)

1. A decorative trimming of twisted ribbon or cord, used especially on hats.

2. An item of jewelry, such as a necklace or bracelet, consisting of multiple, often beaded strands twisted loosely together in a ropelike form.

[French, from tors, from Vulgar Latin *torsus, alteration of Latin tortus, past participle of torquēre, to twist; see terk^w- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.]

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torsade

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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