Prefixes, Suffixes, and Combining Forms - Department of Education ...

Prefixes, Suffixes, and Combining Forms
from
Websters Third New International Dictionary
a- prefix ME, fr. OE a-, an, on 1 :on : in : at abed afoot
asunder sometimes used in dialect speech in locutions
not found in standard he did it a-purpose 2 :in such a
state or condition afire asleep often used with with
acrawl with ants 3 :in such a manner aloud 4 :in the
act of : in the process of daddys gone a-hunting months
later the ship was still a-building
a- or an- prefix L Gk L a-, an-, fr. Gk more at - : not
: without achromatic asexual used chiefly with words
of Gk or L origin a- before consonants other than h and
sometimes even before h, an- before vowels and usu. before h
ahistorical anesthesia anhydrous
-a- combining form ISV : replacing carbon esp. in a ring in
initial combining forms as second constituent after a first
constituent designating a chemical element arsa- aza-
-a n suffix - NL, prob. fr. originally nonsignificant -a in magnesia,
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 ceria lanthana
thoria
ab- prefix ME, fr. OF L OF, fr. L, fr. ab from 1 :from
: departing from abnormal 2 :away : outside of abenteric
ab- prefix absolute used for a cgs electromagnetic unit
abampere abhenry
abdomin- or abdomino- combining form L abdomin-,
abdomen : abdomen : abdominal abdominalgia
abdominoperineal abdominocardiac
-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 tendency
to act or be acted on in a specified way ensilability
washability
abio- combining form a- + bio- : whatever is lifeless abiogenesis
-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, fit
for, or worthy of being so acted upon or toward chiefly
in adjectives derived from verbs breakable connectible
eatable lovable 2 :tending to, given to, favoring, causing,
able to, or liable to agreeable changeable knowledgeable
peaceable perishable -ableness n suffix -
-ably also -ibly adv suffix
-ac n suffix - Gk -akos of or relating to, var. of -ikos -ic after
noun stems ending in i : one affected with hemophiliac
nostalgiac
acanth- or acantho- combining form NL, fr. Gk akanth-, akantho-,
fr. akantha akin to ON gn awn : thorn : spine acanthocarpous
Acanthophis
-acanthus n combining form NL, fr. Gk akantha thorn : animal
having such a spine or such or so many spines
Cephalacanthus Ctenacanthus in generic names esp. of
fishes
acar- or acari- or acaro- combining form NL, fr. Acarus : mite
acaroid acaricide
ace- combining form ISV, fr. acetic : acetic acenaphthene
specif : related to acenaphthene aceanthrene
-ace n combining form - LGk ak point : apex having so
many faces heptace tessarace
-acea n pl suffix NL, fr. L, neut. pl. of -aceus -aceous : animals
characterized by : animals of the nature of Cetacea
Crustacea in names of zoological divisions larger than a
genus, esp. orders and classes
-aceae n pl suffix NL, fr. L, fem. pl. of -aceus -aceous : plants
of the nature of Acanthaceae Rosaceae in names of
families of plants formerly in names of orders of plants
-acean adj suffix NL -acea, -aceae + E -an : -
rosacean
-acean n suffix - : organism characterized by : organism of
the nature of crustacean rosacean in singular corresponding
to plurals in -acea, -aceae
acenaphth- or acenaphtho- combining form ISV, fr. acenaphthene
: acenaphthene : acenaphthylene acenaphthophenanthrene
-acene n suffix - ISV, fr. anthracene : aromatic polycyclic
hydrocarbon containing three or more fused benzene rings in
straight linear sequence naphthacene
-aceous adj suffix L -aceus : characterized by arenaceous
argillaceous : of the nature of herbaceous : belonging to
or connected with a division of animals characterized by or of
the nature of cetaceous crustaceous : belonging to or
connected with a family of plants of the nature of solanaceous
often in adjectives corresponding to biological classification
names in -acea, -aceae
acet- or aceto- combining form F L F acét-, fr. L acet-, fr.
acetum vinegar : acetic acid : acetic : acetyl acetaldehyde
acetamide acetobenzoic
achro- or achro- combining form Gk achroos, fr. a- a- +
-chroos colored more at - : colorless achrodextrin
achrocyst
achromat- or achromato- combining form Gk achrmatos colorless,
fr. a- a- + -chrmatos colored, fr. chrmat-, chrma
color : achromatic achromaturia : something achromatic
achromatolysis
acou- or acouo- combining form F acou-, fr. Gk akouein to
hear : hearing : listening acoumeter acouophonia
-acousia or -acusia n combining form, pl -acousiae or -acusiae
NL, fr. Gk akousis fr. akouein to hear + -sis + NL -ia : hearing
presbyacousia hyperacusia
acr- or acro- also akr- or akro- combining form MF or Gk MF
acro-, fr. Gk akr-, akro-, fr. akros topmost, extreme akin to
Gk akm point 1 :beginning : end : tip acrology 2 a : top
: peak : summit acropetal acrocephaly b :height acrophobia
c : extremity of the body, esp. the human body
acrocyanosis
acromio- combining form NL, fr. acromion : acromial and
acromiodeltoid acromiosternal
-act adj combining form Gk aktis ray more at -
: having such or so many rays polyact tetract in
terms applied to sponge spicules
-act n combining form - : one having such or so many rays
hexact triact 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 morning
twilight, OHG hta, ON tta, Goth htwo, Skt aktu light,
night, L noct-, nox night 1 a : having a radiated structure
Actinopoda Actinomyces b : actinian actiniform
Actinozoa 2 a : actinic actinautography b :of, relating
to, or caused by actinic radiation as X rays actinotherapy
-actinal adj combining form Gk aktin-, aktis ray + E -al
: -
-actine adj combining form Gk aktin-, aktis : having such or
so many rays discoactine pentactine esp. in terms
applied to sponge spicules
actinio- combining form Actinia : actinian actiniochrome
actiniohematin
acu- combining form ML, fr. L acu, abl. of acus needle akin
to L acies edge : with a needle acupuncture