ferro-

1. variant of ferri-: ferroconcrete. In chemical terminology, the meanings of ferri- and ferro- are specialized to correspond to ferric and ferrous.

ferro-

combining_form

1. indicating a property of iron or the presence of iron

   ferromanganese

   ferromagnetism

2. See ferri-
   indicating the presence of iron in the divalent state Compare ferri-

   ferrocyanide

Word History and Origins

Origin of ferro-¹

From Latin ferr(um) “iron” + -o-

Word History and Origins

Origin of ferro-¹

from Latin ferrum iron

Example Sentences

Now, in two of the reagents used, potassium ferro- and ferricyanide, iron is present according to the formul given.

From Project Gutenberg

Fundamentally Niccolo Ferro was both pleased and displeased with the Minister, and he declared it openly.

From Project Gutenberg

He could neither declare himself out and out of Niccolo Ferro's opinion, nor oppose him.

From Project Gutenberg

Continuo, culpam ferro compesce priusquam, Dira per infaustum serpant contagia corpus.

From Project Gutenberg

At ubi nil tergi duritia cessit, uentris curiosius annotati mollities ferro patuit.

From Project Gutenberg

Words That Use ferro-

What does ferro- mean?

Ferro- is a combining form used like a prefix meaning “iron.” Ferro- is often used in scientific terms, especially in chemistry.

In many terms from chemistry, ferro- is used specifically to mean “ferrous,” a technical term meaning “of or containing iron, especially in the bivalent state,” which is when an iron ion contains two valence electrons.

Ferro- comes from Latin ferrum, meaning “iron.” The Greek equivalent was sídēros, “iron,” which is the source of the combining form sidero-, as in siderite and siderocyte.

What are variants of ferro-?

When combined with words or word elements that begin with a vowel, ferro- becomes ferr-, as in ferrite.

The combining form ferri- shares the same Latin root as ferro-, but is used in terms from chemistry to mean “ferric,” meaning “of or containing iron, especially in the trivalent state,” which is when an iron ion contains three valence electrons.

Want to learn more? Check out our Words That Use entries for ferr- and ferri-.

Examples of ferro-

An example of a technical term that features the form ferro- is ferrotype, also known as tintype, meaning “a positive photograph made on a sensitized sheet of enameled iron or tin.”

While ferro- means “iron,” the -type part of the word means “type, especially in names of photographic processes,” from Greek týpos, meaning “blow, impression.” Ferrotype therefore literally means “iron impression.”

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

• ferroalloy
• ferrocement
• ferrocene
• ferrocyanide
• ferroelectric
• ferromagnet
• ferronickel

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

• facio-
• fascio-

Break it down!

Given the meaning of ferro-, what are the qualities of a ferromagnetic substance?