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tan·sy

(tănzē)

n. pl. tan·sies

Any of several plants of the genus Tanacetum of the composite family, especially T. vulgare, native to Eurasia, having corymbs of buttonlike yellow flower heads and aromatic, finely divided leaves that are sometimes used medicinally.

[Middle English, from Old French tanesie, from Vulgar Latin *tanacēta, from Late Latin tanacētum, wormwood.]

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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