steno

¹

[ sten-oh ]

noun

, plural sten·os

1. a stenographer.
2. the art or practice of a stenographer; stenography.

steno-

²

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

   stenopetalous.

steno.

³

or stenog

abbreviation for

1. stenographer.
2. stenographic.
3. stenography.

steno-

¹

combining_form

1. indicating narrowness or contraction

   stenography

   stenosis

steno

²

/ ˈstɛnəʊ /

noun

1. informal.
   short for stenographer

Word History and Origins

Origin of steno¹

1910–15; by shortening; steno-

Origin of steno²

From the Greek word stenós

Origin of steno³

An Americanism dating back to 1905–10; by shortening

Word History and Origins

Origin of steno¹

from Greek stenos narrow

Words That Use Steno-

What does steno- mean?

Steno- is a combining form used like a prefix meaning “narrow” or “close.”  It is used in a variety of medical, scientific, and other technical terms, especially in biology.

Steno- comes from the Greek stenós, meaning “narrow.”

Examples of steno-

An example of a word you may have encountered that features the combining form steno- is stenography, “the act of writing in shorthand.”

Shorthand is a method of rapid handwriting using simple strokes, abbreviations, or symbols that designate letters, words, or phrases. A person who specializes in taking dictation in shorthand, such as in court, is a stenographer.

Stenographer and stenography are sometimes referred to as steno for short.

As we have seen, steno- literally means “narrow,” here implying “short” or “contracted” writing (as opposed to longhand). What about -graphy? That’s right, it denotes a process or form of writing. Stenography literally translates to “narrow writing.”

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

• stenobathic
• stenocardia
• stenocephaly
• stenohaline
• stenopetalous
• stenophagous
• stenophyllous
• stenostomia
• stenothermal
• stenothorax
• stenotopic
• stenosis (using the equivalent form of steno- in Greek)
• stenoxenous

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

• stego-
• stereo-
• sterno-
• stetho-

Break it down!

The combining form -phagous means “eating” or “feeding on.” Based on the meaning of steno-, does a stenophagous organism feed on a wide variety of foods?