combining form

combining form
noun Date: 1884 a linguistic form that occurs only in compounds or derivatives and can be distinguished descriptively from an affix by its ability to occur as one immediate constituent of a form whose only other immediate constituent is an affix (as cephal- in cephalic) or by its being derived from an independent word (as electro- representing electric in electromagnet or para- representing parachute in paratrooper) or can be distinguished historically from an affix by the fact that it is borrowed from another language in which it is descriptively a word or a combining form (as French mal giving English mal- in malodorous)

New Collegiate Dictionary. 2001.

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  • combining form — combining forms N COUNT A combining form is a word that is used, or used with a particular meaning, only when joined to another word. For example, legged as in four legged and fold as in fivefold are combining forms …   English dictionary

  • combining form — ► NOUN ▪ a form of a word normally used in combination with another element to form a word (e.g. bio ‘life’ in biology) …   English terms dictionary

  • combining form — n. a word form that occurs only in compounds or derivatives, and that can combine with other such forms or with affixes to form a word (Ex.: bio and lysis in biolysis) …   English World dictionary

  • Combining form — In the linguistics of word formation, a combining form (also neoclassical element) is a bound base designed to combine with another combining form or a free word. For example, bio combines with graphy to form biography .Words with combining forms …   Wikipedia

  • combining form — Gram. a linguistic form that occurs only in combination with other forms. In word formation, a combining form may conjoin with an independent word (mini + skirt), another combining form (photo + graphy), or an affix (cephal + ic); it is thus… …   Universalium

  • combining form — noun a) A form of a word used for combining with other words or other combining forms to make new words. A combining form may conjoin with an independent word (e.g., mini + skirt), another combining form (e.g., photo + graphy) or an affix (e.g.,… …   Wiktionary

  • combining form — noun a bound form used only in compounds hemato is a combining form in words like hematology • Members of this Usage Domain: ↑smitten, ↑stricken, ↑struck, ↑columned, ↑billed, ↑bedded, ↑visaged, ↑ …   Useful english dictionary

  • combining form — UK [kəmˈbaɪnɪŋ ˌfɔː(r)m] / US [kəmˈbaɪnɪŋ ˌfɔrm] noun [countable] Word forms combining form : singular combining form plural combining forms linguistics a form of a word that has its own meaning but is used only in combination with other words to …   English dictionary

  • combining form — combin′ing form n. gram. a linguistic form that occurs only in combination with other forms and may conjoin with an independent word (mini +skirt) or another combining form (photo + graphy) Compare affix 5) • Etymology: 1880–85 …   From formal English to slang

  • combining form — com bining .form n technical a word that is combined with another word or another combining form to make a new word, for example Anglo , meaning English , in the word Anglo American …   Dictionary of contemporary English

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