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-merous
- a combining form meaning “having parts” of the kind or number specified by the initial element:
dimerous.
-merous
combining form
- (in biology) having a certain number or kind of parts
dimerous
Word History and Origins
Word History and Origins
Origin of -merous1
Example Sentences
Bathing and swimming supply, in their nu merous forms, examples of both healthful activity and relaxation.
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Words That Use -merous
What does -merous mean?
The combining form -merous is used like a suffix to mean “having parts.” It is occasionally used in scientific terms, especially in botany.
The form -merous comes from Greek méros, meaning “part” or “portion.” From this same source, we also inherit the combining forms -mer and -mere.
Want to know more? Check out our Words That Use entries for both forms.
Examples of -merous
One example of a scientific term that features the form -merous is heptamerous, “consisting of or divided into seven parts.”
The first part of the word, hepta-, means “seven,” from Greek heptá, while the form -merous means “having parts.” Heptamerous literally translates to “having seven parts.”
What are some words that use the combining form -merous?
- allomerous
- dimerous (using the equivalent form of -merous in Greek)
- isomerous
- pentamerous (using the equivalent form of -merous in Latin)
- tetramerous (using the equivalent form of -merous in Greek)
Not every word that ends with the exact letters -merous, such as numerous, is necessarily using the combining form -merous to denote “having parts.” Learn why numerous means “many” at our entry for the word.
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