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Affixes: the building blocks of English
Affixes: the building blocks of English
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para-2

Protection; parachuting.

[Via French from Italian parare, defend or shield, derived from Latin parare, to prepare.]

The main examples of the first sense are parachute (French para-, protection against, plus chute, fall) and parasol (via French from Italian parasole, from para-, protecting against, plus sole, sun).

Several terms contain para- as a combining form derived from parachute: paratroops, troops equipped to be dropped by parachute from aircraft (hence the abbreviated form paras); paradrop, a descent or delivery by parachute; paragliding, a sport in which the rider hangs from a specially designed canopy like a parachute (called a parafoil) that enables him or her to glide down from a height; parawing, a type of parachute or kite having a flattened shape like a wing, to give greater manoeuvrability.

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