gon-

¹ American  

1. variant of gono- before a vowel.

   gonidium.

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-gon ² American  

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

   polygon; pentagon.

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-gon ¹ British  

combining form

1. indicating a figure having a specified number of angles

   pentagon

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gon- ² British  

combining form

1. a variant of gono-

   gonidium

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Usage

What does gon- mean? Gon- is a combining form used like a prefix meaning “sexual,” “reproductive.” It is often used in scientific terms, especially in pathology and biology, particularly to refer to the reproductive organs.Gon- ultimately comes from Greek gonḗ, meaning “seed” or “generation,” as in "formation" or "propagation." Among the many Latin cognates of gonḗ is germen, “sprout” or “embryo,” which is the source of germ, germane, and germinate.What are variants of gon-?Gon- is a variant of gono-, which loses its -o- when combined with words or word elements beginning with vowels. Want to know more? Read our Words That Use gono- article.In some instances, such as gonalgia, meaning "knee pain," gon- is used as a variation of gonio-, from Greek gōnía, meaning "angle."

What does -gon mean? The combining form -gon is used like a suffix meaning “angled; angular.” It is often used in technical terms, especially in geometry.The form -gon comes from Greek gōnía, meaning “angle.” The Latin translation of gōnía is angulus, which is the source of angular and triangle. To learn more, check out our entries for both words.

Etymology

Origin of -gon

< Greek -gōnos, derivative of gōnía angle, akin to góny knee