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chaeto-
- a combining form meaning “hair,” used in the formation of compound words:
chaetophorous.
Word History and Origins
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Words That Use Chaeto-
What does chaeto- mean?
Chaeto- is a combining form used like a prefix meaning “hair” or “bristle.” It is used in some scientific terms, especially in zoology.
Chaeto- comes from the Greek chaítē, meaning “long hair.” A similar form to chaeto- is seti-, as in setigerous, from the Latin sēta, saeta, “bristle.”
Note that the first syllable in chaeto- is usually pronounced [ kee ], like key.
What are variants of chaeto-?
When combined with words or word elements that begin with a vowel, chaeto- becomes chaet-, as in chaetiferous.
Examples of chaeto-
One example of a term from zoology that features the form chaeto- is chaetotaxy, “the arrangement of bristles on the exoskeleton of an insect.”
The combining form chaeto- can refer to “bristles,” as we’ve seen. The combining form -taxy means “arrangement or order,” from the Greek táxis. Chaetotaxy literally translates to “bristle arrangement.”
What are some words that use the combining form chaeto-?
- chaetiferous
- chaetognath (using the equivalent form of chaeto- in New Latin)
- chaetophorous
- chaetopod (using the equivalent form of chaeto- in New Latin)
What are some other forms that chaeto- may be commonly confused with?
Break it down!
The combining form -phorous means “bearing” or “having.” What does an organism described as chaetophorous bear?
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