phage

¹

[ feyj ]

noun

1. bacteriophage.

-phage

²

1. a combining form meaning “a thing that devours,” used in the formation of compound words, especially the names of phagocytes:

   macrophage.

-phage

¹

combining form

1. indicating something that eats or consumes something specified

   bacteriophage

phage

²

/ feɪdʒ /

noun

1. See bacteriophage
   short for bacteriophage

Derived Forms

• -phagous, combining_form:in_adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of phage¹

By shortening, or independent use of -phage

Origin of phage²

Noun use of Greek -phagos -phagous

Word History and Origins

Origin of phage¹

from Greek -phagos; see phago-

Words That Use -phage

What does -phage mean?

The combining form -phage is used like a suffix meaning “a thing that devours.” It is used in many scientific terms, especially in biology.

The form -phage ultimately comes from the Greek phageîn, meaning “to eat, devour.” This Greek root also helps form the word esophagus. Discover the connection at our entry for the word. The word phage, referring to a bacteriophage, is a shortened or independent use of the combining form -phage

Closely related to -phage are -phagia, -phagy, and -phagous. Their corresponding form combined to the beginning of words is phago-. Learn more about their specific applications at our Words That Use articles for the forms.

Examples of -phage

One example of a term that features the form -phage is bibliophage, a fancy term for a bookworm. A bibliophage is someone who is “an ardent reader.”

The first portion of the word, biblio-, may look familiar. It means “book,” from the Greek biblíon. As we have seen, -phage means “a thing that devours.” Bibliophage literally translates to “a thing that devours books.” Yum!

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

• bacteriophage (using the equivalent form of -phage in French)
• coniophage
• euryphage
• melanophage
• microphage
• macrophage (using the equivalent form of -phage in New Latin)
• mycophage
• osteophage
• xylophage

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

• –facient
• -gamy
• -gnathous
• -pagus
• -phany
• -phasia
• -phile
• -phobia

Break it down!

The combining form xylo- means “wood.” With this in mind, what kind of insect is a xylophage?