pheno-

a combining form meaning “shining,” “appearing, seeming,” used in the formation of compound words: phenocryst.
a combining form used in the names of chemical compounds that contain phenol or the phenyl group, are related to aromatic compounds, or derive from benzene: phenobarbital.

Origin of pheno-

<New Latin phaeno- <Greek phaino- shining, combining form of phaínein to shine, appear; in chemical senses, used originally with reference to products from the manufacture of illuminating gas

Also especially before a vowel, phen- .

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use pheno- in a sentence

And Ste-phen knelt down, and asked God to for-give them for this sin.
Young Folks' Bible in Words of Easy Reading | Josephine Pollard
Faulkner mentions the subterranean passage “leading towards Kensington,” which Dr. Phen has opened out.
Chelsea | G. E. (Geraldine Edith) Mitton
Here they were met by a small force, in charge of Cap-tain Ad-am Ste-phen.
The Life of George Washington | Josephine Pollard
“You have brought a big thought out of the world of the Spirit People, Phen-tza,” he said.
The Flute of the Gods | Marah Ellis Ryan
“Tahn-té––you call Cacique––is not yet speaking with people out of his order,” said Phen-tza, the governor.
The Flute of the Gods | Marah Ellis Ryan

British Dictionary definitions for pheno-

pheno-

combining form

showing or manifesting: phenotype
indicating that a molecule contains benzene rings: phenobarbital

Origin of pheno-

from Greek phaino- shining, from phainein to show; its use in a chemical sense is exemplified in phenol, so called because originally prepared from illuminating gas

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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