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mar·su·pi·um

(mär-spē-əm)

n. pl. mar·su·pi·a(-pē-ə)

1. An external pouch or fold on the abdomen of most female marsupials, containing the mammary glands and in which the young continue to develop after leaving the uterus.

2. A temporary pouch in certain fishes, amphibians, and invertebrates in which eggs are carried until hatched. Also called brood pouch.

[Late Latin marsūpium, pouch, from Latin marsīpium, marsuppium, from Greek marsippion, marsuppion, diminutive of marsippos, marsuppos, purse, of unknown 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:

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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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