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cha·ran·go

(chə-ränggō)

n. pl. cha·ran·gos

A ten-stringed mandolin of Andean regions with a sound box traditionally fashioned from the shell of an armadillo or tortoise, now also made of wood.

[American Spanish, from charanga, charanga; see CHARANGA.]

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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