steno

¹

[ sten-oh ]

noun

, plural sten·os

1. a stenographer.
2. the art or practice of a stenographer; stenography.

steno-

²

1. a combining form meaning “narrow,” “close,” used in the formation of compound words:

   stenopetalous.

steno.

³

or stenog

abbreviation for

1. stenographer.
2. stenographic.
3. stenography.

steno-

¹

combining_form

1. indicating narrowness or contraction

   stenography

   stenosis

steno

²

/ ˈstɛnəʊ /

noun

1. informal.
   short for stenographer

Word History and Origins

Origin of steno¹

1910–15; by shortening; steno-

Origin of steno²

From the Greek word stenós

Origin of steno³

An Americanism dating back to 1905–10; by shortening

Word History and Origins

Origin of steno¹

from Greek stenos narrow

Example Sentences

But surely the change would have happened had she never emerged from the steno pool.

From The Daily Beast

Fortunately, by then he was in England carrying a steno pad, not in Tunisia hauling a howitzer.

From The Daily Beast

Steno first proved the heart to be a muscle that contracts actively and expels the blood.

From Project Gutenberg

Steno was rightly considered in his own time as one of the greatest of anatomical discoverers.

From Project Gutenberg

Genevieve—that yella-headed steno—was married last month to Henry, the shipping clerk.

From Project Gutenberg

And that poor Alba Steno, that child of twenty, whom they drag through these improper intrigues!

From Project Gutenberg

But it was unnecessary to mention it, for, situated as he was, Countess Steno would gladly have accepted him as a son-in-law.

From Project Gutenberg

Words That Use Steno-

What does steno- mean?

Steno- is a combining form used like a prefix meaning “narrow” or “close.”  It is used in a variety of medical, scientific, and other technical terms, especially in biology.

Steno- comes from the Greek stenós, meaning “narrow.”

Examples of steno-

An example of a word you may have encountered that features the combining form steno- is stenography, “the act of writing in shorthand.”

Shorthand is a method of rapid handwriting using simple strokes, abbreviations, or symbols that designate letters, words, or phrases. A person who specializes in taking dictation in shorthand, such as in court, is a stenographer.

Stenographer and stenography are sometimes referred to as steno for short.

As we have seen, steno- literally means “narrow,” here implying “short” or “contracted” writing (as opposed to longhand). What about -graphy? That’s right, it denotes a process or form of writing. Stenography literally translates to “narrow writing.”

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

• stenobathic
• stenocardia
• stenocephaly
• stenohaline
• stenopetalous
• stenophagous
• stenophyllous
• stenostomia
• stenothermal
• stenothorax
• stenotopic
• stenosis (using the equivalent form of steno- in Greek)
• stenoxenous

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

• stego-
• stereo-
• sterno-
• stetho-

Break it down!

The combining form -phagous means “eating” or “feeding on.” Based on the meaning of steno-, does a stenophagous organism feed on a wide variety of foods?