penta-

American  

especially before a vowel, pent-.

1. a combining form occurring in loanwords from Greek, meaning “five” (Pentateuch ); on this model, used in the formation of compound words (pentavalent ).

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penta- British  

combining form

1. five

   pentagon

   pentameter

   pentaprism

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Usage

What does penta- mean? Penta- is a combining form used like a prefix meaning “five.” It is used in a great many scientific and other technical terms. In chemistry, penta- is specifically used to indicate five atoms or five groups of atoms in compounds, e.g., pentazocine. Penta- comes from the Greek pénte, meaning “five.”In Christianity, the Pentecost is a festival celebrated on the seventh Sunday after Easter. In Judaism, it refers to Shavuoth, a festival that commemorates God’s giving of the Ten Commandments to Moses. Pentecost takes its name from another Greek word closely related to pénte, pentēkostḗ, “fifttieth,” and was so named because Jewish Pentecost is observed on the fiftieth day (Greek, pentēkostḗ hēmérā) after the second day of Passover. In English poetry and drama, iambic pentameter is a line of verse that consists of five metrical feet (pentameter) in which the first syllable is unstressed and is followed by a stressed syllable (iambic). Shakespeare, among many others, most often wrote his plays in iambic pentameter. What are variants of penta-?When combined with words or word elements that begin with a vowel, penta- becomes pent-, as in pentane.

Etymology

Origin of penta-

< Greek pent-, penta-, comb. forms representing pénte five

Example Sentences

O, usually divalent, but tetravalent and possibly hexavalent in oxonium and other salts; S, Se, Te, di-, tetra- and hexa-valent; Cr, di-, tri- and hexa-valent; Mo, W, di-, tri-, tetra-, penta- and hexa-valent.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 6, Slice 1 "Châtelet" to "Chicago" by Various

The number of NO3 groups which unite with the cellulose molecule under these conditions depends upon the temperature, pressure, etc., employed during the nitration process; di-, tri-, tetra-, penta-, and hexanitrates are all known.

From The Chemistry of Plant Life by Thatcher, Roscoe Wilfred