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prod·i·gy

(prŏdə-jē)

n. pl. prod·i·gies

1. A person with exceptional talents or powers: a math prodigy.

2. An act or event so extraordinary or rare as to inspire wonder: "The Spies performed prodigies of activity in clambering over the rooftops and cutting the streamers that fluttered from the chimneys" (George Orwell).

3. Archaic A portentous sign or event; an omen.

[Middle English prodige, portent, from Latin prōdigium.]

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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