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O·lym·pi·ad

(ō-lĭmpē-ăd′)

1. An interval of four years between celebrations of the Olympic Games, by which the ancient Greeks reckoned dates.

2. Sports A celebration of the modern Olympic Games.

[Back-formation from Middle English Olympiades, Olympiads, from Latin Olympias, Olympiad-, Olympiad, from Greek Olumpias, Olumpiad-, from Olumpia, Olympia, Greece, site of the Olympic Games.]

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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