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mod·el·ing (mŏdl-ĭng)
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n.
1. The act of being a model: When parents eat healthy food themselves, this modeling influences their children's dietary habits.
2. The act or art of sculpting or forming in a pliable material, such as clay or wax.
3.
a. Representation of depth and solidity in painting, drawing, or photography.
b. Visual shape and texture of something regarded aesthetically, especially the human face or form.
4. The act of simulating a complex system by means of a model, especially a mathematical model.
5. The profession of being a model.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 

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.