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   The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition.  2000.
 
desman
 
SYLLABICATION:des·man
PRONUNCIATION:  dsmn
NOUN:Inflected forms: pl. des·mans
Either of two aquatic, insectivorous, molelike mammals, Desmana moschata of eastern Europe and western Asia or Galemys pyrenaicus of southwest Europe, having dense brownish fur, a long snout, and a flattened scaly tail.
ETYMOLOGY:Short for Swedish desmanråtta, muskrat : desman, musk (from Middle Low German desem, from Medieval Latin bisamum, of Semitic origin; see bm in Appendix II) + råtta, rat (akin to Old English ræt).
 
 
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Copyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by the Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

CONTENTS · INDEX · ILLUSTRATIONS · BIBLIOGRAPHIC RECORD
  desktop publishing desmid  
 
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