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Wheeler, Joseph Known as "Fighting Joe." 1836-1906.

American military officer and politician. A Confederate commander, he later served as US representative from Alabama (1881-1882 and 1885-1900) and as a major general in the Spanish-American War (1898).

Whee·ler

(wēlər, hwē-), John Archibald 1911-2008.

American theoretical physicist who made significant contributions to quantum physics and general relativity. He coined the terms “black hole” and “wormhole.”

wheel·er

(wēlər, hwē-)

1. One that wheels.

2. A thing that moves on or is equipped with wheels or a wheel. Often used in combination: a three-wheeler; a paddle-wheeler.

3. A wheel horse.

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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