meno

¹

[ mey-noh; Italian me-naw ]

adverb

, Music.

1. less.

meno-

²

1. a combining form borrowed from Greek, where it meant “month,” used with reference to menstruation in the formation of compound words:

   menopause.

meno

¹

/ ˈmɛnəʊ /

adverb

1. (esp preceding a dynamic or tempo marking) to be played less quickly, less softly, etc
2. short for meno mosso

meno-

²

combining_form

1. menstruation

   menorrhagia

Word History and Origins

Origin of meno¹

1875–80; < Italian < Latin minus less

Origin of meno²

< Greek mēno-, combining form of mḗn month; moon

Word History and Origins

Origin of meno¹

from Italian, from Latin minus less

Origin of meno²

from Greek mēn month

Example Sentences

They came up against a major hurdle after discovering the boat to the final location, the small island of Gili Meno, only runs during daylight hours, which forced them to wait until the morning to set off.

From BBC

But that night, when Sand called his wife and fellow coach, Jenni Meno, he mentioned he was tired and achy and would go to bed early.

From Los Angeles Times

“He remembers things from the past, which is great,” Meno said last week after a coaching session.

From Los Angeles Times

That his kidneys spontaneously resumed functioning after about eight weeks was another blessing Meno gratefully counted.

From Los Angeles Times

When she’s at the rink, where she and an accomplished team led by Christine Fowler-Binder oversee four senior-level pairs, two junior pairs, one novice pair and one intermediate pair, Meno’s parents take Todd to physical therapy sessions.

From Los Angeles Times

Words That Use meno-

What does meno- mean?

Meno- is a combining form used like a prefix meaning “month.” It is often used in medical terms, specifically in references to menstruation.

Meno- comes from the Greek mḗn, meaning “month.” It’s distantly related to the English word moon, itself related to the word month. Many calendars, both in the past and present, are based on the cycles of the moon.

Menstruation is the periodic flow (known as menses) of blood and other substances from the uterus, which happens approximately every month in women of certain ages. Indeed, both menstruation and menses derive from the Latin mēnsis, meaning “month.”

What are variants of meno-?

When combined with words or word elements that begin with a vowel, meno- becomes men-, as in menarche.

Examples of meno-

Menopause is the period when menstruation ends, usually between the ages of 45–55.

Borrowed from the French ménopause, menopause features the equivalent of the combining forms of meno-, referring to menstruation, and pause, meaning “cessation” and from a Greek word for “halt, stop.” Menopause, then, has the literal sense of “the end of menstruating.”

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

• menophania
• menorrhea
• menoschesis
• menostasis
• menostaxis
• menotropins

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

• melano-
• meningo-
• meso-
• mero-

Break it down!

The combining form -rrhea means “flow.” What is menorrhea?