alumino-

1. a combining form of aluminum, used especially before a consonant:

   aluminosilicate.

Words That Use alumino-

What does alumino- mean?

Alumino- is a combining form used like a prefix meaning “aluminum,” a silvery-white metallic element. It is occasionally used in scientific terms, especially in chemistry.

Alumino- ultimately comes from Latin alumen, meaning “bitter salt,” in reference to an astringent substance known as potash alum.

What are variants of alumino-?

When combined with words or word elements that begin with a vowel, alumino- becomes alumin-, as in aluminite. Want to know more? Check out our Words That Use entry for alumin-.

Examples of alumino-

One example of a technical term that features the form alumino- is aluminography, also known as algraphy, “a [printing] process employing an aluminum plate instead of a stone.”

The alumino- part of the word means “aluminium,” while -graphy means “a process or form of writing or drawing,” from Greek graphia. Aluminography literally means “aluminum writing.”

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

• aluminosilicate
• aluminothermy

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

• allelo-
• allo-
• amphi-
• anthropo-

Break it down!

The combining form -thermy means “heat” or “heat generation.” With this in mind, what does the chemical process of aluminothermy involve?