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Columbus, Christopher 1451-1506.
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Italian explorer in the service of Spain who unwittingly reached the Americas (1492) in attempting to sail west from Europe to Asia. Making three subsequent voyages to the Caribbean in his quest for a sea route to China, Columbus began a new era of European exploration and colonization in the Western Hemisphere.
(click for a larger image)
Christopher Columbus
15th-century oil on panel portrait

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 
Co·lum·bus (kə-lŭmbəs)
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1. A city of western Georgia on the Chattahoochee River south-southwest of Atlanta. Settled in 1828 on the site of a Creek village, it is a port of entry and major industrial center.
2. A city of south-central Indiana south-southeast of Indianapolis. Founded in 1820, it is known for its modern architecture.
3. The capital of Ohio, in the central part of the state on the Scioto River. Laid out as the capital in 1812, it is a major commercial center and the seat of The Ohio State University (established 1873).

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 

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.