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

“Things got heated at an EverTree fashion show after both Madame Duboise and former understudy Vivi LaBoom both unveiled nearly identical lines of translucent apparel for ghostly spirits. LaBoom, who has long held that she was the real force behind Duboise’s recent resurgence in popularity before being unceremoniously fired, has accused Duboise of having a spy within her design circle. Duboise calls the accusations 'ridiculous,' saying LaBoom was fired for being a ‘LaBum.’

From Literature

And even he, as Rodelinda’s miraculously returned husband, Bertarido, was pressed past comfort in faster passages, like the climactic “Vivi, tiranno.”

From New York Times

The family is “very, very grateful,” that Vivi, who does not have sickle cell disease, was able to be her sister’s donor and that Abi didn’t have to go on a several-year-long waitlist, Daramola said.

From Washington Post

Beyond being her much-needed bone marrow match, Vivi is also Abi’s closest companion.

From Washington Post

Abi and Vivi walked toward the billboard, hand-in-hand, as Abi pointed up and said, “That’s me!”

From Washington Post

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?