gamet-

1. variant of gameto- before a vowel:

   gametangium.

Words That Use gamet-

What does gamet- mean?

The combining form gamet- is used like a prefix meaning “gamete,” a scientific term for a mature sexual reproductive cell, such as a sperm or egg, that unites with another cell to form a new organism. It is very occasionally used in scientific terms, especially in biology.

The form gamet- ultimately comes from Greek gameîn, meaning “to marry.”

What are variants of gamet-?

The form gamet- is a variant of gameto-, which loses its -o- when combined with words or word elements beginning with vowels. Additional combining forms of the same general origin include gamo-, -gamous, and -gamy. Want to know more? Read our Words That Use articles for the forms.

Examples of gamet-

One example of a scientific term that features the form gamet- is gametic, meaning “having the character of a gamete.”

The gamet- part of the word means “gamete,” while the suffix -ic means “having some characteristics of,” from Latin -icus. Gametic literally translates to “having some characteristics of gametes.”

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

• gametangium (using the equivalent form of gamet- in Latin)
• gametal
• gametoid theory

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

• genito-
• Germano-
• -gram
• gymno-

Break it down!

The suffix -oid means “resembling” or “like.” With this in mind, what does gametoid mean?