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her·mit

(hûrmĭt)

1. A person who has withdrawn from society and lives a solitary existence; a recluse.

2. A cookie made with molasses, raisins, and nuts.

[Middle English heremite, from Old French, from Medieval Latin herēmīta, from Late Latin erēmīta, from Greek erēmītēs, from erēmiā, desert, from erēmos, solitary.]

her·mitic, her·miti·cal adj.

her·miti·cal·ly adv.

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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