dandelion
/ˈdændəˌlaɪən/DAN-duh-ligh-uhn
/ˈdændəˌlaɪən/DAN-duh-ligh-uhn
Meaninglion's tooth
Common meaning: a yellow weed ('lion's tooth')
- dandea toothLewis & Short, Latin Dictionary (1879), p. 546 · scan
- liona lionLewis & Short, Latin Dictionary (1879), p. 1051 · scan
‘a tooth’ + ‘a lion’ → dandelion
Journey through time
Neither part’s path through time is traced in our sources yet; each root is shown from its dictionary entry.
- dande — Latin dēns, dentis “a tooth” (dictionary form; path not traced)
- lion — Latin leō, -ōnis “a lion” (dictionary form; path not traced)
Sources & notes
Meaning: “Meaning” is the sense that emerges from the word’s roots; “Common meaning” is today’s everyday sense. Both written by us.
Pronunciation
- UK IPA: converted from the US form by rule (unchecked). Respelling: generated.
- No UK recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-GB voice.
- US IPA: CMUdict (BSD-2), converted to IPA by rule. Respelling: generated.
- No US recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-US voice.
Origin: Built on Latin dēns ‘a tooth’ + Latin leō ‘a lion’.
Did you know: our wording, based on Lewis & Short, Latin Dictionary (1879), entry leō, p. 1051 · dictionary scan
Roots
- dēns, dentis Latin “a tooth”
- leō, -ōnis Latin “a lion”
Related words
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