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Scott, Winfield 1786-1866.
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American general. A hero of the War of 1812, he captured Veracruz, defeated Santa Anna, and captured Chapultepec during the Mexican War (1846-1848).

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 
Scott, Sir Walter 1771-1832.
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British writer of ballads and historical novels, a genre he popularized and refined. His works include Waverley (1814) and Ivanhoe (1819).

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 
Scott, Robert Falcon 1868-1912.
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British explorer who reached the South Pole (January 1912) only to find that Roald Amundsen had discovered the spot one month before. He and his companions died on the return journey.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 
Scott (skŏt), Dred 1795?-1858.
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American slave who sued unsuccessfully for his liberty after spending four years with his master in a territory where slavery had been banned by the Missouri Compromise. The resulting decision by the US Supreme Court (1857) declared the Missouri Compromise unconstitutional.

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.