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cte·nid·i·um

(tĭ-nĭdē-əm)

n. pl. cte·nid·i·a (-ē-ə)
Zoology

A comblike structure, such as the respiratory apparatus of a mollusk or a row of spines in some insects.

[New Latin, from Greek kteis, kten-, comb.]

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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