Etymology

flagellum

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Today it means: In protists, a long, whiplike membrane-enclosed organelle used for locomotion or feeding. Full definition →

Latin flagellum ← Proto-Indo-European *bʰleh₂-?
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The story

  1. Proto-Indo-European*bʰleh₂-?
  2. Latinflagrum
  3. Latinflagellum
  4. English todayflagellum

From Latin flagellum (“whip”), diminutive of flagrum.

Words from the same roots

Latinflagellum all →

flailflagelliformflagellist

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.