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Shi·raz¹

(shē-räz)

A city of southwest-central Iran south of Tehran. It has long been an important commercial center noted for its carpets and metalworks. The ruins of ancient Persepolis are nearby.

Shi·raz²

(shē-räz)

1. The Syrah grape, especially when grown in Australia.

2. A red wine made from this grape.

[Alteration of French syrah (influenced by Shiraz¹, from the belief that it was brought to Europe from Iran during the Crusades).]

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.

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