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prize²

(prīz)

Something seized by force or taken as booty, especially an enemy ship and its cargo captured at sea during wartime.

[Alteration of Middle English prise, from Old French, from feminine past participle of prendre, from Latin prehendere, prēndere, to seize; see ghend- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.]

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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