mono

¹

[ mon-oh ]

noun

, Informal.

1. infectious mononucleosis.

mono

²

[ mon-oh ]

adjective

1. monophonic ( def 2 ).

mono-

³

1. a combining form meaning “alone,” “single,” “one” ( monogamy ); specialized in some scientific terms to denote a monomolecular thickness ( monolayer ) and adapted in chemistry to apply to compounds containing one atom of a particular element ( monohydrate ).

mono

¹

/ ˈmɒnəʊ /

adjective

1. short for monophonic

noun

1. monophonic sound; monophony

mono-

²

combining_form

1. one; single

   monorail

   monochrome

2. indicating that a chemical compound contains a single specified atom or group

   monoxide

mono–

1. A prefix that means “one, only, single,” as in monochromatic, having only one color. It is often found in chemical names where it means “containing just one” of the specified atom or group, as in carbon monoxide, which is carbon attached to a single oxygen atom.

Word History and Origins

Origin of mono¹

By shortening

Origin of mono²

By shortening

Origin of mono³

From Greek, combining form of mónos “alone”

Word History and Origins

Origin of mono¹

from Greek monos

Example Sentences

Get ready to be surprised by a Puerto Rican asalto navideño or enjoy a glass of cola de mono with your Chilean friends.

From Los Angeles Times

It so happened the Cal baseball writer had just come down with mono.

From Seattle Times

I culled symptoms of mono, plantar warts, shingles, borderline personality disorder and a bladder infection, as well as listing a bunch of side effects from some TV ads for drugs.

From Literature

“The recording industry went from mono to stereo decades ago, and it didn’t move from there,” John Couling, senior vice president of Dolby Laboratories, said in a phone interview.

From New York Times

But typically bread only uses mono- or diglyceride fatty acids as emulsifiers, which have not been linked to risk of disease.

From Salon