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del·phin·i·um

(dĕl-fĭnē-əm)

A perennial plant of the genus Delphinium of the buttercup family, especially any of several tall cultivated varieties having palmate leaves and long racemes of showy, variously colored spurred flowers. Also called larkspur.

[New Latin Delphinium, genus name, from Greek delphinion, larkspur, probably diminutive of delphīs, delphīn-, dolphin (from the shape of the nectary).]

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delphinium

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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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