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hal·o·gen

(hălə-jən)

Any of a group of five chemically related nonmetallic elements including fluorine, chlorine, bromine, iodine, and astatine.

adj.

1. Of or relating to the group of elements that are halogens.

2. Of or relating to a bright incandescent light bulb containing a halogen gas that prevents the filament from disintegrating at higher temperatures.

[Swedish : halo-, halo- + -gen, -gen.]

ha·loge·nous (hă-lŏjə-nəs) adj.

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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