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James 1, Saint. Known as "the Great." Died AD 44.
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One of the 12 Apostles. The son of Zebedee and brother of John, he preached in Spain and was martyred on his return to Judea.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 
James 2, Saint. Known as "the Just." Died c. AD 62.
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Traditionally regarded as the brother of Jesus, the author of the Epistle of James in the New Testament, and the first bishop of Jerusalem.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 
James 3, Saint. Known as "the Less." fl. first century AD.
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One of the 12 Apostles.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 
James (jāmz)
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n.
See Table at Bible.

[Middle English, from Old French, from Late Latin Iacomus, variant of Iacōbus, Iacobus; see JACOB.]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 
James, C(yril) L(ionel) R(obert) 1901-1989.
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Trinidadian author noted for his Marxist writings and his novel Minty Alley (1936).

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 
James, Etta Originally Jamesetta Hawkins. 1938-2012.
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American singer best known for her blues-inflected vocal style on recordings of popular songs such as "At Last" (1961).

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 
James, Jesse Woodson 1847-1882.
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American outlaw. After fighting in the Civil War as a Confederate guerrilla, he led a group of armed brigands that for 15 years robbed banks and trains in the West. He was murdered by a member of his own gang.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 
James, Henry 1843-1916.
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American writer and critic whose works frequently concern the confrontation of American and European culture. A pioneer in psychologically realistic fiction, he wrote numerous novels, such as The Bostonians (1886) and The Golden Bowl (1904).
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Henry James

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 
James, William 1842-1910.
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American psychologist and philosopher. A founder of pragmatism and functionalism, he developed an approach to intellectual issues that greatly influenced American thought. His works include The Principles of Psychology (1890) and The Varieties of Religious Experience (1902).

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.