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lu·cerne

(l-sûrn)

n.
Chiefly British

Alfalfa.

[French luzerne, from Provençal luzerno, glowworm (perhaps from its shiny seeds), from Latin lucerna, lamp, from lūcēre, to shine; see LUCID.]

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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