prefix

English Online Dictionary. What means prefix‎? What does prefix mean?

English

Alternative forms

• præfix (obsolete)
• prefixe (for the verb; obsolete)

Etymology 1

Borrowed from Late Latin praefīxum, from Latin praefīxus, past participle of praefīgō (“I (fix, fasten, set up) in front”, “I fix on the (end, extremity)”) (from prae- (“before”) + fīgō (“I fix”, “I fasten”, “I affix”)), equivalent to pre- +‎ -fix. Doublet of the archaic synonym prefixum.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈpɹiːfɪks/, /pɹɛˈfɪks/
• Rhymes: -ɪks

Noun

prefix (plural prefixes)

1. Something placed before another
   1. (grammar, linguistic morphology) A morpheme added to the beginning of a word to modify its meaning, for example as, pre- in prefix, con- in conjure, re- in reheat, etc.

      Synonyms: (rare) foresyllable, (archaic) prefixum

      Antonym: suffix

      Hypernyms: (broad sense) affix, morpheme

   2. (telecommunications) A set of digits placed before a telephone number, to indicate where the number is based, what type of phone number it is (landline, mobile, toll-free, premium rate etc.)

   3. A title added to a person's name, such as Mr. or Dr.
   4. (computing) An initial segment of a string of characters.

Usage notes

• Though much less common, a plural form prefices is seen as well, apparently formed by analogy with index–indices, appendix–appendices, and so on, but it is not a standard plural and has no basis in Latin.

Synonyms

• forefix (rare)

Coordinate terms

• (types of affixes): adfix, affix, ambifix, circumfix, confix, disfix, duplifix, infix, interfix, libfix, postfix, prefixoid, simulfix, suffix, suffixoid, suprafix, transfix

Derived terms

Translations

Etymology 2

From Middle English prefixen, from Middle French prefixer, from Latin praefīxus, past participle of praefīgō (“I (fix, fasten, set up) in front”, “I fix on the (end, extremity)”) (from prae- (“before”) + fīgō (“I fix”, “I fasten”, “I affix”)), equivalent to pre- +‎ -fix.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈpɹiːfɪks/, /pɹiːˈfɪks/, /pɹɛˈfɪks/
• Rhymes: -ɪks

Verb

prefix (third-person singular simple present prefixes, present participle prefixing, simple past and past participle prefixed)

1. (transitive) To determine beforehand; to set in advance. [from 15^thc.]
2. (transitive) To put or fix before, or at the beginning of something; to place at the start. [from 16^thc.]

Derived terms

Related terms

Translations

See also

• Appendix:English nationality prefixes
• Category:English prefixes
• coverb

References

Further reading

• prefix on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• “prefix”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
• “prefix”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.

Anagrams

• perfix

Catalan

Etymology

Borrowed from Late Latin praefīxum, from Latin praefīxus.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (Central, Balearic) [pɾəˈfiks]
• IPA^(key): (Valencia) [pɾeˈfiks]

Noun

prefix m (plural prefixos)

1. prefix

Czech

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈprɛfɪks]
• Rhymes: -ɪks
• Hyphenation: pre‧fix

Noun

prefix m inan

1. prefix

   Synonym: předpona

Declension

Derived terms

Further reading

• “prefix”, in Kartotéka Novočeského lexikálního archivu (in Czech)
• “prefix”, in Slovník spisovného jazyka českého (in Czech), 1960–1971, 1989

Dutch

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈpreːfɪks/

Etymology 1

Borrowed from post-Classical Latin praefīxum, nominal use of the neuter form of Classical Latin praefīxus, past participle of praefīgō (“I (fix, fasten, set up) in front”, “I fix on the (end, extremity)”) — the noun directly thence, whereas the adjective via French préfixe.

Alternative forms

• praefix (archaic)

Noun

prefix n or m (plural prefixen, diminutive prefixje n)

1. prefix

   Synonym: voorvoegsel

   Antonyms: suffix, achtervoegsel

Etymology 2

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Adjective

prefix (not comparable)

1. (obsolete) fixed, predetermined

Declension

Occitan

Etymology

Borrowed from Late Latin praefīxum, from Latin praefīxus.

Noun

prefix m

1. (grammar) prefix

Related terms

• sufix

Romanian

Etymology

Borrowed from French préfixe, from Latin praefīxus.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /pɾeˈfiks/

Noun

prefix n (plural prefixe)

1. prefix

   Antonym: sufix

Declension

Related terms

Swedish

Noun

prefix n

1. (grammar) prefix

Declension