-agogue

1. a combining form with the meaning “leader, bringer,” of that named by the initial element, occurring in loanwords from Greek ( demagogue; pedagogue ); used also in medical terms that denote substances inducing the expulsion or secretion of that named by the initial element ( cholagogue; hemagogue ).

-agogue

combining form

1. indicating a person or thing that leads or incites to action

   demagogue

   pedagogue

2. denoting a substance that stimulates the secretion of something

   galactagogue

Derived Forms

• -agogic, combining_form:in_adjective
• -agogy, combining_form:in_noun:countable

Word History and Origins

Origin of -agogue¹

From Greek -agōgos, -ē, -on, akin to ágein “to lead,” cognate with Latin agere “to lead, drive,” Old Norse aka “to carry, convey”

Word History and Origins

Origin of -agogue¹

via Late Latin from Greek agōgos leading, from agein to lead

Example Sentences

Helminth′agogue, a remedy against worms.—adj.

From Project Gutenberg

Words That Use -agogue

What does -agogue mean?

The combining form -agogue is used like a suffix meaning “leader” or “bringer.” In medical terms, it is used to name substances that cause the flow or the release of a substance. It is occasionally used in scientific and technical terms.

The form -agogue comes from Greek -agōgos, meaning “leading.” The Latin cognate of this form is agēns, “doing” or “driving,” which is the source of words such as agent and agency. To learn more, check out our entries for both words.

What are variants of –agogue?

A less-common variant of -agogue is -agog, as in hydragog. Want to know more? Read our Words That Use article for -agog.

Examples of -agogue

An example of a word you may have encountered that features -agogue is demagogue, “a person, especially a political leader, who gains power and popularity by arousing the emotions, passions, and prejudices of the people.” Demagogue comes from Greek dēmagōgós, which uses the equivalent form of -agogue.

The dem- part of the word means “people,” from Greek dêmos, while –agogue means “leader.” Demagogue literally translates to “leader (of the) people.”

What are some words that use the equivalent of the combining form -agogue in Greek?

• hydragogue
• mystagogue
• pedagogue
• sialagogue

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

• -age
• -algia

Not every word that ends with the exact letters -agogue, such as synagogue, is necessarily using the combining form -agogue to denote “leader.” Learn why synagogue means “temple” at our entry for the word.

Break it down!

The combining form galact- means “milk.” With this in mind, what does the term galactagogue literally mean?