-gamous

1. a combining form with the meaning “having gametes or reproductive organs” of the kind specified by the initial element: heterogamous; also forming adjectives corresponding to nouns ending in -gamy: endogamous.

-gamous

combining form

1. denoting marrying or uniting sexually

   monogamous

Word History and Origins

Origin of -gamous¹

From Greek -gamos “marrying”; -ous

Word History and Origins

Origin of -gamous¹

from Greek gamos; see -gamy

Words That Use -gamous

What does -gamous mean?

The combining form -gamous is used like a suffix meaning “having gametes or reproductive organs.” Gametes are a mature sexual reproductive cell, such as a sperm or egg, that unites with another cell to form a new organism.

The form -gamous is also used to form adjectives related to the form -gamy, which means “marriage.” In this sense, -gamous means roughly “married.”

The form -gamous is often used in scientific terms, especially in biology. It comes from Greek -gamos, meaning “marrying.”

What are variants of -gamous?

While -gamous doesn’t have any variants, it is related to the form -gamy, as in endogamy. Additional combining forms of the same general origin include gamet-, gameto-, and gamo-. Want to know more? Read our Words That Use articles for the forms.

Examples of -gamous

An example of a word you may have encountered that features -gamous is monogamous, “practicing or advocating for marriage with only one person at a time.” Monogamous comes from Greek monógamos, which uses the equivalent form of -gamous.

The form mono- means “single” or “one,” from Greek mónos. As we have seen, one of the meanings of -gamous is “married.” Monogamous literally translates to “married to one (person).”

What are some words that use the combining form -gamous?

• bigamous (using the equivalent form of -gamous in Greek)
• cleistogamous
• endogamous
• oogamous
• polygamous (using the equivalent form of -gamous in Greek)

What are some other forms that -gamous may be commonly confused with?

• Germano-
• -genous
• -gram

Break it down!

The combining form bi- means “two.” Given the meaning of -gamous, what does bigamous mean?