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Bu·ceph·a·lus

(by-sĕfə-ləs)

Alexander the Great's war horse.

[Latin Būcephalus, from Greek Boukephalos, variant of Boukephalās, literally “ox-head” (possibly because the horse had a brand mark shaped like an ox's head, a common brand mark in ancient Greece) : bous, ox; see g^wou- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots + kephalē, head; see ghebh-el- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.]

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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