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ce·ro·tic acid

(sə-rōtĭk, -rŏtĭk)

A fatty acid, C₂₆H₅₂O₂, occurring in waxes, such as beeswax or carnauba wax.

[From Latin cērōtum, wax plaster, from Greek kērōton, from neuter of kēroun, to wax, from kēros, wax.]

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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