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wren (rĕn)
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n.
1. Any of various small brownish songbirds of the family Troglodytidae, having rounded wings, a slender bill, and a short, often erect tail. All species but one, which is Eurasian, are found only in the Americas.
2. Any of various similar unrelated songbirds.

[Middle English wrenne, from Old English wrenna.]
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wren
Eurasian wren
Troglodytes troglodytes

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 
Wren (rĕn)
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n.
A member of the British Women's Royal Naval Service.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 
Wren, Sir Christopher 1632-1723.
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English architect who designed more than 50 London churches, most notably Saint Paul's Cathedral (1675-1710). His secular works include the Sheldonian Theatre in Oxford (1669) and Trinity College Library in Cambridge (1695).
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Sir Christopher Wren
1711 portrait by Sir Godfrey Kneller (1646-1723)

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 

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.