-androus

1. a combining form meaning “male,” occurring as final element of a compound word:

   polyandrous.

-androus

combining form

1. (in botany) indicating number or type of stamens

   diandrous

Word History and Origins

Origin of -androus¹

< New Latin -andrus. See andr-, -ous

Word History and Origins

Origin of -androus¹

from New Latin -andrus, from Greek -andros, from anēr man

Example Sentences

He has battled with junior teammate Teddy Androus, a Notre Dame commit, for the starting faceoff role.

From Washington Post

Composed of both staminate and pistillate flowers. -androus.

From Project Gutenberg

The number of stamens is indicated by the Greek numerals prefixed to the term androus; thus a flower with one stamen is monandrous, with two, three, four, five, six or many stamens, di-, tri-, tetr-, pent-, hex- or polyandrous, respectively.

From Project Gutenberg

A "streamlined film version" of Louisa May Alcott's novel about life at the Plumfield Farm Boarding School in the late 19th Century, the Polly -androus story would hardly be recognized by Louisa May.

From Time Magazine Archive

Androus, or Ander, andra, andrum, Greek in compounds for male, or stamens.

From Project Gutenberg

Words That Use -androus

What does -androus mean?

The combining form -androus is used like a suffix meaning “male.” It is very occasionally used in scientific terms, especially in botany.

In terms from botany, -androus is used to specifically indicate the number or type of stamens, the pollen-bearing organ of a flower. In some terms, such as polyandrous, the form is used to indicate “husband.”

The form -androus comes from Latin -andrus, essentially meaning “male.”  This suffix, in turn, derives from Greek anḗr, “man.”

What are variants of -androus?

While -androus doesn’t have any variants, it is related to other combining forms: andro-, andr-, and -andry. Want to know more? Check out our Words that Use articles for each form.

Examples of -androus

One example of a term from botany that features the form -androus is diandrous, “having two stamens.” Diandrous comes from Latin diandrus, which uses the equivalent form of -androus.

The form di- means “two” or “twice,” from Greek dís, and -androus means “male.” Diandrous literally translates to “twice male.”

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

• anandrous
• gynandrous
• monandrous
• polyandrous

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

• -aceous
• -ance
• -ancy

Break it down!

The combining form mon- means “one.” With this in mind, what does the botanical term monandrous mean?