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wren

(rĕn)

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.]

(click for a larger image)

wren

Eurasian wren

Troglodytes troglodytes

Wren

(rĕn)

A member of the British Women's Royal Naval Service.

Wren, Sir Christopher 1632-1723.

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).

(click for a larger image)

Sir Christopher Wren

1711 portrait by Sir Godfrey Kneller (1646-1723)

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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