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ech·i·na·ce·a

(ĕk′ə-nāsē-ə, -nāshə)

1. Any of several coneflowers of the genus Echinacea, having usually pinkish-purple ray flowers.

2. The roots, seeds, or other parts of such a plant, used in herbal medicine.

[New Latin Echīnācea, genus name, from Latin echīnus, sea urchin (from its rough leaves); see ECHINUS.]

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echinacea

eastern purple coneflower

Echinacea purpurea

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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