Explanatory Notes

Combining Forms, Prefixes & Suffixes 		Synonyms Index   Lists of Undefined Words
An entry that begins or ends with a hyphen is a word element that forms part of an English compound:
mini-  comb form ... <  mini bus >
-gram ...  n comb form ... < tele gram  >
-lyze ...  vb comb form ... < electro lyze  >
epi-  or  ep-  prefix ...  1 ... <  epi center >
1 -er ...  adj suffix or adv suffix ... < hotter  > < dri er  >
-ure  n suffix ...  2 ... < legislat ure  >
2 -en  vb suffix ...  1 a ... < sharpen  >
Combining forms, prefixes, and suffixes are entered in this dictionary for three reasons: to make easier the writing of etymologies of words in which these word elements occur over and over again; to make understandable the meaning of many undefined run-ons which for reasons of space would be omitted if they had to be given etymologies and definitions; and to make recognizable the meaningful elements of new words that are not well enough established in the language to warrant dictionary entry.