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electro

1 American  
[ih-lek-troh] / ɪˈlɛk troʊ /

noun

plural

electros

  1. electrotype.

electro- 2 American  

  1. a combining form representing electric or electricity in compound words.

    electromagnetic.
electro- 1 British  

combining form

  1. electric or electrically

    electrocardiograph

    electrocute

  2. electrolytic

    electroanalysis
"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
electro 2 British  
/ ɪˈlɛktrəʊ /

noun

  1. short for electroplate electrotype

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of electro1

By shortening

Origin of electro-2

electr(ic) + -o-

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

"Ginga me," Amaarae sings repeatedly over a throbbing electro groove – referencing the fluid, hip-swaying movements of the Brazilian martial art Capoeira.

From BBC • Dec. 20, 2025

It has the squelchy bounce of the early-’80s hip-hop offshoot electro, yet Mr. Parker’s searing guitar lead seems dropped in from a Santana album of the decade prior.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 28, 2025

“Home Counties,” from 2017, included “Whyteleafe,” a syncretic gem of harpsichord-fueled baroque, electro bass lines and vocals that both cherish and recreate the delights of vintage British pop.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 16, 2025

Electrolytes get their "electro" name from having an electrical charge when dissolved in water.

From Salon • Jan. 21, 2025

If you leave general effects, and come to pull her dress to pieces, you find that the metal is only electro, to whatever rank of life she may belong.

From Town Life in Australia by Twopeny, Richard Ernest Nowell

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.