emblem (n.)

1580s, "relief, raised ornament on vessels, etc.," from Latin emblema "inlaid ornamental work," from Greek emblema (genitive emblematos) "an insertion," from emballein "to insert," literally "to throw in," from assimilated form of en "in" (see en- (2)) + ballein "to throw" (from PIE root *gwele- "to throw, reach"). Meaning "allegorical drawing or picture" is from 1730, via sense development in French emblème "symbol" (16c.).

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en- (2)

word-forming element meaning "near, at, in, on, within," from Greek en "in," cognate with Latin in (from PIE root *en "in"), and thus with en- (1). Typically assimilated to em- before -p-, -b-, -m-, -l-, and -r-.

*gwele-

*gwelə-, also *gwel-, Proto-Indo-European root meaning "to throw, reach," with extended sense "to pierce."

It forms all or part of: anabolic; arbalest; astrobleme; ball (n.2) "dancing party;" ballad; ballet; ballista; ballistic; ballistics; belemnite; catabolism; devil; diabolical; discobolus; emblem; embolism; hyperbola; hyperbole; kill (v.); metabolism; palaver; parable; parabola; parley; parliament; parlor; parol; parole; problem; quell; quail (v.) "lose heart, shrink, cower;" symbol.

It is the hypothetical source of/evidence for its existence is provided by: Sanskrit apa-gurya "swinging," balbaliti "whirls, twirls;" Greek ballein "to throw, to throw so as to hit," also in a looser sense, "to put, place, lay," bole "a throw, beam, ray," belemnon "dart, javelin," belone "needle," ballizein "to dance;" Armenian kelem "I torture;" Old Church Slavonic zali "pain;" Lithuanian galas "end," gėla "agony," gelti "to sting."

emblematic (adj.)

"pertaining to or constituting an emblem; representative by some allusion or customary association," 1640s, perhaps via French emblématique, as if from Latin *emblematicus, from emblema (see emblem). Related emblematically.

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Definitions of emblem

emblem (n.)

special design or visual object representing a quality, type, group, etc.;

emblem (n.)

a visible symbol representing an abstract idea;

Synonyms: allegory

From wordnet.princeton.edu

Dictionary entries near emblem

embezzlement

embezzler

embiggen

embitter

emblazon

emblem

emblematic

embodiment

embody

embolden

embolism