-blastic

1. a combining form meaning “having a given type or number of buds, cells, or cell layers,” or “undergoing a given type of development,” as specified by the initial element:

   holoblastic.

Word History and Origins

Origin of -blastic¹

blasto-, -ic

Words That Use -blastic

What does -blastic mean?

The combining form –blastic is used like a suffix with a variety of meanings. Especially in terms from botany, it means “having a given type or number of buds.” In other scientific terms, this meaning is applied metaphorically to mean “having a given type or number of cells or cell layers” or “undergoing a given type of development.”

The form –blastic comes from a combination of two forms. The first is –blast, from Greek blastós, meaning “bud” or “sprout.” The second is the suffix –ic, from Latin –icus, meaning “having some characteristics of.” Want to know more? Read our Words That Use article for –blast.

Examples of -blastic

A term from zoology that features the form –blastic is triploblastic, “having three primary germ layers, as the embryos of vertebrates.”

Triplo– means “triple,” from Greek triplós, while the form –blastic means “having a given number of cell layers.” Triploblastic literally translates to “having triple cell layers.”

What are some words that use the combining form –blastic?

• diploblastic
• epiblastic
• holoblastic
• homoblastic
• monoblastic
• neuroblastic

What are some other forms that –blastic may be commonly confused with?

• -plast
• -plastic
• -plasty

Break it down!

The combining form diplo– means “double” or “in pairs.” With this in mind, what does the term diploblastic mean?