per·se·cute  (pûr'sĭ-kyōōt')  tr.v. per·se·cut·ed, per·se·cut·ing, per·se·cutes
[Middle English, from Old French persecuter, back-formation from persecuteur, persecutor, from Late Latin persecūtor, from persecūtus, past participle of persequī, to persecute, from Latin, to pursue : per-, per- + sequī, to follow; see sekw-1 in Indo-European roots.] per'se·cu·tee' (-kyōō-tē') n., per'se·cu'tive, per'se·cu·to'ry (-kyŏŏ-tôr'ē, -tōr'ē, -kyōō'tə-rē) adj., per'se·cu'tor n. |