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phoe·nix also phe·nix

(fēnĭks)

1. Mythology A bird in Egyptian mythology that lived in the desert for 500 years and then consumed itself by fire, later to rise renewed from its ashes.

2. A person or thing of unsurpassed excellence or beauty; a paragon.

3. Phoenix A constellation in the Southern Hemisphere near Tucana and Sculptor.

[Middle English fenix, from Old English and Old French, both from Medieval Latin fēnix, from Latin phoenix, from Greek phoinix.]

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phoenix

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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