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rhine·stone

(rīnstōn′)

A usually colorless artificial gem of crystal, glass, or another material, often with a flat metallic backing to create sparkling facets on the front.

[After the Rhine (translation of French caillou du Rhin, piece of rock crystal gathered from the Rhine (such as used to imitate diamonds) : caillou, pebble + du, of the + Rhin, Rhine).]

rhinestoned′ 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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