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bach·e·lor

(băchə-lər, băchlər)

a. A man who is not married.

b. A man who has never been married.

c. A man who is not married and is not involved in a serious romantic relationship.

2. A person who has completed the undergraduate curriculum of a college or university and holds a bachelor's degree.

3. A male animal that does not mate during the breeding season.

4. A young knight in the service of another knight in feudal times.

[Middle English bacheler, squire, youth, bachelor, from Old French, from Medieval Latin baccalārius, tenant farmer, perhaps of Celtic origin.]

bache·lor·dom, bache·lor·hood′, bache·lor·ship′ n.

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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