Where does “tricuspid” come from?

tricuspid (English) comes from Italian tricuspide, from Italian cuspide, from Latin cuspis, from Proto-Indo-European spey- — sharp point, stick.

tricuspid (English): Having three cusps, e.g. a molar tooth;...

Definitions

  1. Having three cusps, e.g. a molar tooth;...

Ancestry of “tricuspid”, step by step

tricuspid traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Italian tricuspide

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Italiantricuspidetricuspid
2Italiancuspidecusp; spire
3Latincuspispoint, tip; spit; sting
4Proto-Indo-Europeanspey-sharp point, stick

via English cuspid

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishcuspidA tooth with a single cusp; a canine

Words derived from “tricuspid”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European spey- →Every word from Latin cuspis →Every word from Italian cuspide →