combining form

8.1

A small word part from Greek or Latin that appears only inside longer words

noun
/kəmˈbaɪnɪŋ fɔrm/

Specialized

: forma combinante

The prefix 'bio-' is a combining form used in words like 'biology' and 'biography'.

Examples

'Hydro-' serves as a combining form in words such as 'hydroelectric' and 'hydrology'.
Medical terms often include more than one combining form derived from Greek or Latin.
A combining form can create new meanings.
What is a combining form in linguistics?
'Hydro-' serves as a combining form in words such as 'hydroelectric' and 'hydrology'.
The prefix 'bio-' is a combining form used in words like 'biology' and 'biography'.
Medical terms often include more than one combining form derived from Greek or Latin.

Antonyms

free form

Specialized

1 6.5

A small part of language that can be a whole word

Surface Forms

combining form singular

combining forms plural

Morphology

combining + form

The phrase literally reads as a "form used for combining," so a B1 learner who knows 'combining' and 'form' can infer a general idea that it is a form that combines with others. However, the MWE denotes a specialized linguistic concept (a bound, typically Greek/Latin element that only occurs in compounds), which is more technical than the literal inference and not fully predictable from the constituents alone.

Etymology

Combining form comes from the idea of a 'word piece' that must join with other pieces to make a full word. Parts like bio- or hydro- are small building blocks that cannot stand alone, so the phrase means a word element used only when combined with others.