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gum·bo-lim·bo

(gŭm′bō-lĭmbō)

n. pl. gum·bo-lim·bos

An aromatic, resinous, tropical American tree (Bursera simaruba) having compound leaves and small white flowers, often planted as an ornamental.

[Perhaps GUMBO + limbo (possibly of Bantu origin; akin to Kongo -dimbo, birdlime).]

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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