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A Dictionary of
Prefixes, Suffixes, andCombining Forms
from
Websters Third New International Dictionary,Unabridged
2002
Websters Third New International Dictionary
is now online
visit www.Merriam-WebsterUnabridged.comfor a 14-day free trial www.merriam-webster.com www.wordcentral.com
ablativeaccusativeactiveadjectiveadverb Anglo-French Albanianalterationanatomyaorist Armenian Avestanbiologybotanycentimeter-gram-secondchemistrycombining formconjunctioncontractioncrystallographyDutchDanishdativedialectdiminutiveEnglishespeciallyFrenchfemininefromfrequentativefutureGermangenitivegeologyGreekGermanicGothicHittiteIndo-EuropeanimitativeindicativeinterjectionIrish GaelicirregularInternational Scientific VocabularyItalianitalicLatinLate GreekliterallyLithuanianLate LatinmasculineMiddle DutchMiddle EnglishmedicineMiddle FrenchMiddle GreekMiddle High GermanMiddle IrishMedieval Latinmodificationnounneuter New Latinnominativenoun pluralobsoleteOld EnglishOld FrenchOld FrisianOld High GermanOld IrishOld LatinOld NorseOld PersianOol ProvenalOld PrussianoriginallyOld SaxonOld ScandinavianOld SlavicOld WelshparticipleperhapspersonPortuguesepluralprepositionpresentprobablypronounRussianScotssingularSanskritSpanishspecificallysuperlativeSwedishTocharian ATurkishusuallyvariantverb Vulgar Latin Welsh
Abbreviations in This Work
The abbreviations in this list are regularized to one style without periods, although they mayappear with periods in context, depending on whether printed in roman type or italics.
ablaccactadjadv AF Albalteranataor Arm Avbiolbotcgschemcomb. formconjcontrcrystallogDDandatdialdimEespFfemfrfreqfutGgengeolGkGmcGothHittIEimitindicinterjIrGaelirregISVItitalLLGklitLithLLmascMDMEmedMFMGkMHGMIrMLmodif nneut NLnomn plobsOEOFOFrisOHGOIrOLONOPerOProvOPrussorigOSOScanOSlavOWpartperhpersPgplpreppresprobpronRussScsingSktSpspecif superlSwToch ATurkusuvarvb VL W
a-
prefix
ME, fr. OE
a-, an, on
1 :
on
:
in
:
at
a
bed
a
foot
a
sunder sometimes used in dialect speech in locutionsnot found in standard he did it
a
-purpose
2 :
in such astate or condition
a
fire
a
sleep often used with
with
a
crawl with ants
3 :
in such a manner
a
loud
4 :
in theact of
:
in the process of daddys gone
a
-hunting monthslater the ship was still
a
-building
a-
or
an-
prefix
L Gk L
a-, an-,
fr. Gk more at
-
:
not
:
without
a
chromatic
a
sexual used chiefly with wordsof Gk or L origin
a-
before consonants other than
h
andsometimes even before
h, an-
before vowels and usu. before
h
a
historical
an
esthesia
an
hydrous
-a-
combining form
ISV
:
replacing carbon esp. in a ring ininitial combining forms as second constituent after a firstconstituent designating a chemical element ars
a-
az
a-
-a
n suffix
-
NL, prob. fr. originally nonsignificant
-a
in
mag- nesia,
fr. ML
-a
in
magnesia,
alchemical substance, fr. Gk
-a, -
in
magnsia, magnsi,
alchemical substance, magnet,fr. nom. sing. fem. adjectival ending corresponding to nom.sing. masc.
-os
and nom. sing. neut.
-on
:
oxide ceri
a
lan-than
a
thori
a
ab-
prefix
ME, fr. OF L OF, fr. L, fr.
ab
from
1 :
from
:
departing from
ab
normal
2 :
away
:
outside of
ab
en-teric
ab-
prefix
absolute
used for a cgs electromagnetic unit
ab
ampere
ab
henry
abdomin-
or
abdomino-
combining form
L
abdomin-,abdomen
:
abdomen
:
abdominal
abdomin
algia
abdomino
perineal
abdomino
cardiac
-ability
also
-ibility
n suffix
-
ME
-ablete, -abilite, -iblete,-ibilite,
fr. MF
-ableté, -abilité, -ibleté, -ibilité,
fr. L
-abilitas,-ibilitas,
fr.
-abilis, -ibilis + -tas
-ty
:
capacity, fitness, or ten-dency to act or be acted on in a specified way ensil
ability
wash
ability
abio-
combining form
a- + bio-
:
whatever is lifeless
abio-
genesis
-able
also
-ible
adj suffix
ME, fr. OF, fr. L
-abilis, -ibilis,
fr.
-a-,-i-
thematic vowels of various conjugations of verbs +
-bilis
capable or worthy of being acted upon
1 :
capable of, fitfor, or worthy of being so acted upon or toward chieflyin adjectives derived from verbs break
able
connect
ible
eat
able
lov
able
2 :
tending to, given to, favoring, causing,able to, or liable to agree
able
change
able
knowledge-
able
peace
able
perish
able
-ableness
n suffix
-
-ably
also
-ibly
adv suffix
-ac
n suffix
-
Gk
-akos
of or relating to, var. of
-ikos
-ic afternoun stems ending in
i
:
one affected with hemophili
ac
nostalgi
ac
acanth-
or
acantho-
combining form
NL, fr. Gk
akanth-, akan-tho-,
fr.
akantha
akin to ON
gn
awn
:
thorn
:
spine
acan-tho
carpous
Acanth
ophis
-acanthus
n combining form
NL, fr. Gk
akantha
thorn
:
ani-mal having such a spine or such or so many spinesCephal
acanthus
Cten
acanthus
in generic names esp. of fishes
acar-
or
acari-
or
acaro-
combining form
NL, fr.
Acarus
:
mite
acar
oid
acari
cide
ace-
combining form
ISV, fr.
acetic
:
acetic
ace
naphthene
specif
:
related to acenaphthene
ace
anthrene
-ace
n combining form
-
LGk
ak
point
:
apex having somany faces hept
ace
tessar
ace
-acea
n pl suffix
NL, fr. L, neut. pl. of
-aceus
-aceous
:
animalscharacterized by
:
animals of the nature of Cet
acea
Crust
acea
in names of zoological divisions larger than agenus, esp. orders and classes
-aceae
n pl suffix
NL, fr. L, fem. pl. of
-aceus
-aceous
:
plantsof the nature of Acanth
aceae
Ros
aceae
in names of families of plants formerly in names of orders of plants
-acean
adj suffix
NL
-acea, -aceae
+ E
-an
:
-
ros
acean
-acean
n suffix
-
:
organism characterized by
:
organism of the nature of crust
acean
ros
acean
in singular corre-sponding to plurals in
-acea, -aceae
acenaphth-
or
acenaphtho-
combining form
ISV, fr.
acenaph-thene
:
acenaphthene
:
acenaphthylene
acenaphtho
phen-anthrene
-acene
n suffix
-
ISV, fr.
anthracene
:
aromatic polycyclichydrocarbon containing three or more fused benzene rings instraight linear sequence naphth
acene
-aceous
adj suffix
L
-aceus
:
characterized by aren
aceous
argill
aceous
:
of the nature of herb
aceous
:
belonging toor connected with a division of animals characterized by or of the nature of cet
aceous
crust
aceous
:
belonging to orconnected with a family of plants of the nature of solan
a-ceous
often in adjectives corresponding to biological clas-sification names in
-acea, -aceae
acet-
or
aceto-
combining form
F L F
acét-,
fr. L
acet-,
fr.
acetum
vinegar
:
acetic acid
:
acetic
:
acetyl
acet
aldehyde
acet
amide
aceto
benzoic
achro-
or
achro-
combining form
Gk
achroos,
fr.
a-
a- +
-chroos
colored more at
-
:
colorless
achro
dex-trin
achro
cyst
achromat-
or
achromato-
combining form
Gk
achrmatos
col-orless, fr.
a-
a- +
-chrmatos
colored, fr.
chrmat-, chrma
color
:
achromatic
achromat
uria
:
something achromatic
achromato
lysis
acou-
or
acouo-
combining form
F
acou-,
fr. Gk
akouein
tohear
:
hearing
:
listening
acou
meter
acouo
phonia
-acousia
or
-acusia
n combining form, pl
-acousiae
or
-acusiae
NL, fr. Gk
akousis
fr.
akouein
to hear +
-sis
+ NL
-ia
:
hear-ing presby
acousia
hyper
acusia
acr-
or
acro-
also
akr-
or
akro-
combining form
MF or Gk MF
acro-,
fr. Gk
akr-, akro-,
fr.
akros
topmost, extreme akin toGk
akm
point
1 :
beginning
:
end
:
tip
acro
logy
2 a :
top
:
peak
:
summit
acro
petal
acro
cephaly
b :
height
acro-
phobia
c :
extremity of the body, esp. the human body
acro
cyanosis
acromio-
combining form
NL, fr.
acromion
:
acromial and
acromio
deltoid
acromio
sternal
-act
adj combining form
Gk
aktis
ray more at
-
:
having such or so many rays poly
act
tetr
act
interms applied to sponge spicules
-act
n combining form
-
:
one having such or so many rayshex
act
tri
act
in names of sponge spicules
actin-
or
actini-
or
actino-
combining form
NL
actin-
ray, fr.Gk
aktin-, aktino-,
fr.
aktin-, aktis
akin to OE
hte
morningtwilight, OHG
hta,
ON
tta,
Goth
htwo,
Skt
aktu
light,night, L
noct-, nox
night
1 a :
having a radiated structure
Actino
poda
Actino
myces
b :
actinian
actini
form
Actino
zoa
2 a :
actinic
actin
autography
b :
of, relatingto, or caused by actinic radiation as X rays
actino
therapy
-actinal
adj combining form
Gk
aktin-, aktis
ray + E
-al
:
-
-actine
adj combining form
Gk
aktin-, aktis
:
having such orso many rays disco
actine
pent
actine
esp. in termsapplied to sponge spicules
actinio-
combining form
Actinia
:
actinian
actinio
chrome
actinio
hematin
acu-
combining form
ML, fr. L
acu,
abl. of
acus
needle akinto L
acies
edge
:
with a needle
acu
puncture
Prefixes, Suffixes, and Combining Forms
from
Websters Third New International Dictionary
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