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cere¹

(sîr)

tr.v. cered, cer·ing, ceres

To wrap in or as if in cerecloth.

[Middle English ceren, ciren, from Old French cirer, to cover with wax, from Latin cērāre; see CERATE.]

cere²

(sîr)

A fleshy or waxlike membrane at the base of the upper beak in certain birds, such as parrots, through which the nostrils open.

[Middle English sere, from Old French cire, from Medieval Latin cēra, from Latin, wax; see CERATE.]

cered adj.

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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