Dictionary of Combining Forms: Vocabulary Building (English Word Power Book 6);

What are "Combining Forms"?

Combining form is aform of a word that can combine with free word, root word oranothercombining form to get a new word. 'Combining form' adds extrameaning to the new word. 'Combining form' is added to the beginning orend of free word, root word or another combining form.


(A). Examples of "Combining form + Free Word":

Agro- + Industry = Agro-industry
Agro- denotes: connected with farming


(B). Example of "Combining form + Root Word":

Aero- + Gramme = Aerogramme
Aero- denotes: connected with aircraft
Gramme denotes: writing


(C). Examples of "Combining form + Combining form":

Hydro- + -Logy = Hydrology [the scientific study of the earth's water]
Hydro- denotes: relating to water
-Logy denotes: a subject of study


IMPORTANT NOTES:

1. "Combining form" generally cannot stand alone as free words, but there are many exceptions to this rule.

EXAMPLES:
Combining Form: -like [free word]
lotus + -like = lotus-like
rope + -like = rope-like
-like- denotes: similar to the thing that is mentioned


2. Many "PAST PARTICIPLES and PRESENT PARTICIPLES" are used as COMBINING FORMS.
Past participles -- the form of a verb that ends in -ed, -en, etc.
Present participles -- the form of a verb that ends in -ing

EXAMPLES:
(A). Past Participle
Combining Form: -based [past participle]
foreign + -based = foreign-based
demand + -based = demand-based
-based- denotes: containing something as an important feature or part

(B). Present Participle
Combining Form: -looking [present participle]
fine + -looking = fine-looking
suspicious + -looking = suspicious-looking
-looking- denotes: to be appearing in a way that is mentioned

 
Alphabetical List of Combining Forms Along With Their Meanings And Examples

Combining Forms -- A

AERO-
Used to form: adjectives, adverbs and nouns
General meaning: connected with aircraft
Examples:
aerobatics / aerodrome / aerodynamics / aerofoil / aerogramme (also, aerogram) / aeronaut / aeronautics / aerospace / aerostat

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-AFFLICTED
Used to form: adjectives
General meaning: badly affected from the thing that is mentioned
Examples [along with their use in phrases]:
disease-afflicted ---- [disease-afflicted infant]
drought-afflicted ---- [drought-afflicted villages]
terror-afflicted ---- [terror-afflicted countries]

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AFRO-
Used to form: adjectives and nouns
General meaning: African
Examples [along with their use in phrases]:
Afro-Brazilian ---- [Afro-Brazilian heritage]
Afro-British ---- [Afro-British people]
Afro-Caribbean ---- [Afro-Caribbean cooperation]
Afro-Colombian ---- [Afro-Colombian celebrities]
Afro-Cuban ---- [Afro-Cuban player]
Afro-descendant ---- [Afro-descendant communities]
Afro-Iranian ---- [Afro-Iranian minority]
Afro-Latina ---- [Afro-Latina engineers]
Afro-Mexican ---- [Afro-Mexican students]
Afro-Palestinian ---- [Afro-Palestinian group]
Afro-Turk ---- [Afro-Turk music star]

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ALL-
Used to form: adjectives and adverbs
General meaning: each and every one | totally | in the highest degree
Examples:
all-American / all-around / all-British / all-Canadian / all-clear / all-consuming / all-embracing / all-encompassing / all-important / all-inclusive / all-night / all-nighter / all-out / all-over / all-party / all-pervading / all-powerful / all-purpose / all-round / all-rounder / all-star / all-ticket / all-time

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ASTRO-
Used to form: adjectives, adverbs and nouns
General meaning: connected with the stars or universe
Examples:
astrolabe / astrologer / astrological / astrology / astrometry / astronaut / astronomer / astronomical / astronomically / astronomy / astrophysicist / astrophysics


AUDIO-
Used to form: adjectives, adverbs and nouns
General meaning: connected with hearing or sound
Examples:
audio-book / audio-cassette / audio-lingual / audiology / audio-meter / audio-metric / audiophile / audiotape / audio-typist / audio-visual