xeno-

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

   xenogamy, xenolith.

xeno-

combining_form

1. indicating something strange, different, or foreign

   xenogamy

Word History and Origins

Origin of xeno-¹

Combining form of Greek xénos stranger, guest (noun); alien, foreign, strange (adj.)

Word History and Origins

Origin of xeno-¹

from Greek xenos strange

Example Sentences

He was back on his feet by the early 1990s, said his son Xeno Rasmusson, but stopped performing in 2018 after he had a heart attack and seizure.

From Washington Post

The mini-fest offers an audio-visual feast, with new wave pioneer Gary Numan leading the lineup on Friday alongside Adult, Xeno & Oaklander and Kanga.

From Los Angeles Times

Human immune systems won’t tolerate cross-species, or “xeno,” transplants because many pig genes code for incompatible proteins, and the Prather group wanted to cripple production of one protein that triggers particularly strong antibody responses.

From Science Magazine

“The only people in real danger are the ones whose friends and relatives on the outside are giving trouble. They get taken hostage. Old Xeno Lovegood was getting a bit too outspoken in The Quibbler, so they dragged Luna off the train on the way back for Christmas.”

From Literature

At last he spluttered, “The Quibbler? That lunatic rag of Xeno Lovegood’s?”

From Literature

Words That Use xeno-

What does xeno- mean?

Xeno- is a combining form used like a prefix meaning “alien,” “strange,” or “guest.” It is used in a variety of domains, including in botany, medicine, mineralogy, the social sciences, and zoology.

Xeno- comes from the Greek xénos, a noun meaning “stranger, guest” or an adjective meaning “foreign, strange.” The name of the chemical element (and noble gas) Xenon also derives from the Greek xénos.

What are variants of xeno-?

When combined with words or word elements that begin with a vowel, xeno- becomes xen-, as in xenarthral.

Examples of xeno-

An example of a word you may have heard that features xeno- is xenophobia, “an aversion or hostility to, disdain for, or fear of foreigners, people from different cultures, or strangers.”

We know xeno- can refer to “foreigner.” And the -phobia portion of the word? That’s right, -phobia designates abnormal or irrational fears. So, xenophobia literally translates to “fear of foreigners.”

A connection to xeno- in popular culture is xenomorph, a name for the alien creature in the sci-fi horror franchise Alien. Learn more about this unusual specimen of a word in our entry for the term.

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

• xenobiotic
• xenoblast
• xenocurrency
• xenocryst
• xenodiagnosis
• xenogamy
• xenogenesis
• xenolith
• xenomorphic
• xenoparasite

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

• xero-
• xylo-
• zeno-

We’d forgive you for confusing xeno- with Zeno, the name of two influential ancient Greek philosophers. But do note the name and combining form are unrelated. Xeno- is also not to be confused with the occasional combining form zeno-, used in a few words to refer to the planet Jupiter.

Break it down!

The combining form -lith means “stone.” What does xenolith literally mean?