andro-

1. a combining form meaning “male,” used in the formation of compound words:

   androsterone.

andro-

combining_form

1. male; masculine

   androsterone

2. (in botany) stamen or anther

   androecium

Word History and Origins

Origin of andro-¹

< Greek andró ( s ), genitive of anḗr man; akin to Sanskrit nar-, Albanian njerí person, Latin Nero Nero

Word History and Origins

Origin of andro-¹

from Greek anēr (genitive andros ) man

Example Sentences

This term has Latin roots: Andro- meaning “man” and -gyne, meaning “woman.”

From The Daily Beast

The prince was tired, too tired to summon Andro to pull off his tight patent-leather boots.

From Project Gutenberg

Andro went out and the strange, indolent vacancy overcame Othomar once more.

From Project Gutenberg

O bolloben te rackel tutt andre sawe kolester, kai me wium adre te me tshawa tiro rum shin andro meraben.

From Project Gutenberg

The name of our renowned soothsayer is liberally used as an authority, throughout all the prophecies published by Andro Hart.

From Project Gutenberg

He appointed Andro the Penman and his brother John officers of the garrison during his absence.

From Project Gutenberg

Words That Use andro-

What does andro- mean?

The combining form andro- is used like a prefix meaning “male.” It is often used in scientific terms, especially in biology.

The form andro- comes from Greek anḗr, meaning “man.” The name of the princess Andromeda from Greek mythology comes from this same Greek root. Her name has been translated as “ruler of man.”

What are variants of andro-?

When combined with words or word elements that begin with a vowel, andro- becomes andr-, as in andragogy.

Though these aren’t true variants, andro- is related to the combining forms -androus and -andry. Want to know more? Check out our Words that Use articles for each form.

Examples of andro-

One example of a word you may have encountered that features the form andro- is androgynous, “neither clearly masculine nor clearly feminine in appearance.” Androgynous comes from the Greek andrógynos, meaning “hermaphrodite,” which uses the equivalent form of andro-.

The andro- part of the word means “male,”  while the -gynous part, from Greek -gynos, means “of females.” Androgynous literally means roughly “like a male and a female.”

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

• androblastoma
• androcracy
• androdioecious
• androgenous
• andrology

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

• anthr-
• anthro-

Break it down!

The combining form -cracy means “government”  or “rule.” With this in mind, what is an androcracy?