vivi-

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

   vivisection.

Word History and Origins

Origin of vivi-¹

< Latin vīvi-, combining form of vīvus alive; akin to vīvere to live ( vital )

Example Sentences

Maledicat illum Christus Filius Dei vivi toto su majestatis imperio.

From Project Gutenberg

Mr. Stanley, as "Mundelé of Vivi," had no good reason to congratulate himself upon his bargain.

From Project Gutenberg

All the really good land at Vivi was already occupied, and the natives would not part with it.

From Project Gutenberg

The site was carefully chosen, and Vivi has since become the most important station on the river.

From Project Gutenberg

The Congo affords a magnificent waterway from the ocean, at Banana, up to Vivi.

From Project Gutenberg

Words That Use vivi-

What does vivi- mean?

Vivi- is a combining form used like a prefix meaning “living” or “alive.” It is used in a few scientific terms.

Vivi- ultimately comes from the Latin vīvus, meaning “alive,” based on vīvere, “to live.” Many other words derive from or are closely related to the Latin vīvere, including vital, vivid, vivacious, revive, and viva, as in Viva Las Vegas!

Examples of vivi-

You may have heard the word vivisection, “the action of cutting into or dissecting a living body.” Besides making most of us squeamish, vivisection features the combining form vivi-.

The first part of the word, vivi-, means “living,” as we know. The second part of the word, -section, ultimately comes from the Latin word for “a cutting.” Vivisection breaks down to “cutting into the living.” Yikes.

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

• vivisect
• vivisector

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

• vini-
• vino-

Break it down!

The suffix –ist is often used to denote someone who engages in a particular practice. What would you call someone who does the (grisly) work of vivisection?