deca-

1. a combining form meaning “ten,” used in the formation of compound words:

   decapod.

deca-

prefix

1. denoting ten: decagon . In conjunction with scientific units the symbol da is used

deca–

1. A prefix that means “ten,” as in decahedron, a polygon having ten faces.

Word History and Origins

Origin of deca-¹

< Greek deka-, combining form of déka ten; cognate with Latin decem

Word History and Origins

Origin of deca-¹

from Greek deka

Example Sentences

The oil company did say last month that it has has engaged real estate companies Catellus Development Corp. and Deca Cos. to evaluate potential future uses for the site.

From Los Angeles Times

Deca has transformed outdated sites to accommodate new technologies.

From Los Angeles Times

Deca didn’t respond to a request for comment about potential uses of the Phillips 66 site and Catullus referred inquiries to Phillips 66.

From Los Angeles Times

“Right now, we are focused on running the facilities and collaborating with Catellus and Deca to get the necessary permits to redevelop the site,” said,” Ortiz said.

From Los Angeles Times

Phillips 66 said it has has engaged Catellus Development Corporation and Deca Cos. to examine future uses for the 650-acre site near the Port of Los Angeles.

From Los Angeles Times

Words That Use Deca-

What does deca- mean?

Deca- is a combining form used like a prefix meaning “ten.” It is used occasionally in technical and scientific terms.

Deca- comes from Greek déka, meaning “ten.” A related Latin-origin form is deci-, from Latin decimus, “tenth.” Want to learn more? Check out our Words That Use entry for deci-.

Despite the similarity between the two forms, it’s important not to confuse deca-, meaning “ten,” with deci-, which means “tenth.” A decagram is ten grams (10 g), but a decigram is one-tenth of a gram (0.1 g).

What are variants of deca-?

When combined with words or word elements that begin with a vowel, deca- becomes dec-, as in decathlon. A related prefix is deka-, which is reserved for the naming of metric units.

Want to know more? Check out our Words That Use articles for dec- and deka-.

Examples of deca-

An example of a term that features deca- is decagon, “a polygon having ten angles and ten sides.” Decagon comes from Medieval Latin decagōnum, which features the equivalent of the form deca-.

We know deca- means “ten,” while the -gon portion of the word, from Greek gōnía, means “angled, angular.” Decagon literally translates to “ten angles.”

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

• decadrachm
• decapod (using the equivalent form of deca- in Latin)
• decastyle using the equivalent form of deca- in Greek)
• decastylos using the equivalent form of deca- in Latin)
• decasyllable
• decanormal

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

• dactylo-
• de-
• deci-
• deka-
• dextro-
• dodeca-

Not every word that begins with the letters deca-, such as decadence or decapitate, is necessarily using the combining form deca- to denote “ten.” Learn why decadence is related to “decay” at our entry for the word.

Break it down!

The combining form -pod means “(one having a kind of) foot.” With this in mind, why are crustaceans such as crabs, lobsters, and crayfish known as decapods?