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vi·sa

(vēzə)

An official authorization appended to a passport, permitting entry into and travel within a particular country or region subject to certain conditions, such as length of time and purpose of the visit.

tr.v. vi·saed, vi·sa·ing, vi·sas

1. To endorse or ratify (a passport).

2. To give a visa to.

[French, short for Latin (carta) vīsa, (the document has been) seen, from feminine past participle of vidēre, to see; see weid- in the Appendix of Indo-European 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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