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cosmic string

Any of numerous very long and thin alterations or topological defects in spacetime hypothesized to have resulted from the Big Bang and to have made possible the conglomeration of mass into large-scale structures such as galaxy clusters and the inhomogeneous distribution of matter in the universe.

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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Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

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