lipo-

¹ American  

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

   lipolysis.

---

lipo- ² American  

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

   lipography.

---

lipo- ¹ British  

combining form

1. fat or fatty

   lipoprotein

---

lipo ² British  

/ ˈlɪpəʊ, ˈlaɪpəʊ /

noun

1. informal short for liposuction

---

Usage

What does lipo- mean? Lipo- is a combining form used like a prefix that has two, unrelated senses.The first is “fat.” This meaning of lipo- is from the Greek lípos, meaning “fat.” When combined with words or word elements that begin with a vowel, lipo- becomes lip-, as in lipectomy. The Latin word for fat, adeps, is the source of the combining forms adipo- and adip-, which are used similarly to lipo-.The second meaning of lipo- is “lacking” or “leaving.” It comes from a different Greek root, leípein, meaning “to leave” or “to be lacking.” It is used in a few, rare or obscure literary or scientific terms.

Etymology

Origin of lipo-¹

Combining form representing Greek lípos fat

Origin of lipo-²

< Greek, combining form of lip-, weak stem of leípein to leave, be lacking; see -o-