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As·cle·pi·us

(ə-sklēpē-əs)

n.
Greek Mythology

A son of Apollo, originally mortal, who became a god of medicine and healing.

[Greek Asklēpios, Asklāpios; perhaps akin to aspalaks, skalops, mole (since healing gods were associated with small mammals, as Apollo with the mouse, and Rudra (the Vedic healing god) with the mole) and of pre-Greek substrate origin.]

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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