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-anthous
- a combining form meaning “having flowers,” of the type or number specified by the initial element, used in the formation of compound words:
monanthous.
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Words That Use -Anthous
What does -anthous mean?
The combining form -anthous is used like a suffix meaning “having flowers.” It is occasionally used in scientific terms, especially in botany.
The combining form -anthous comes from Greek ánthos, meaning “flower.” This Greek root is combined with the suffix -ous, which means “possessing, full of,” from Latin -ōsus. The Latin equivalent of -anthous is -florous, as in uniflorous. Want to know more? Read our Words That Use articles for flor- and flori-.
The botanical terms chrysanthemum, helianthus, and polyanthus are also related to the Greek root ánthos. Find out more at our entries for chrysanthemum, helianthus, and polyanthus.
Corresponding forms of -anthous combined to the beginning of words is antho- and anth-. Learn more at our Words That Use articles for the forms.
Examples of -anthous
An example of a term from botany that features the combining form -anthous is rhizanthous, “bearing flowers directly from the root.”
The combining form rhiz- means “root,” from Greek rhíza. As we know, -anthous means “having flowers,” and therefore, rhizanthous literally means “having root flowers.”
What are some words that use the combining form -anthous?
- ananthous (using the equivalent form of -anthous in Greek)
- gymnanthous
- isanthous (using the equivalent form of -anthous in Latin)
- monanthous (using the equivalent form of -anthous in Latin)
What are some other forms that -anthous may be commonly confused with?
Not every word that ends with the exact letters -anthous, such as xanthous, is necessarily using the combining form -anthous to denote “flowers.” Learn why xanthous means “yellow” at our entry for the word.
Break it down!
The combining form gymn- means “naked” or “exposed.” With this in mind, what are the characteristics of a gymnanthous plant?
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