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Beck·et

(bĕkĭt), Saint Thomas à 1118?-1170.

English Roman Catholic martyr. Chancellor to Henry II after 1154, he was appointed archbishop of Canterbury (1162) and fell into disfavor with the king. He was later embroiled in the controversy surrounding Henry's coronation of his son and was murdered by four knights in Canterbury Cathedral.

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Saint Thomas à Becket

the murder of Saint Thomas à Becket, from a 1220

English psalter

beck·et

(bĕkĭt)

n.
Nautical

A device, such as a looped rope, hook and eye, strap, or grommet, used to hold or fasten loose ropes, spars, or oars in position.

[Origin unknown.]

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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