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fu·see also fu·zee

(fy-zē)

1. A usually cone-shaped pulley with a spiral groove, used in a cord- or chain-winding clock to maintain even travel in the timekeeping mechanism as the force of the mainspring lessens in unwinding.

a. A colored flare used as a warning signal for trucks and railroad trains.

b. A match with a large head capable of burning in a wind.

c. A combustible fuse for detonating explosives.

[From French fusée, spindle, rocket, flare, fuse, fusee, from Old French, spindleful of thread, from fus, spindle, from Latin fūsus.]

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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