-ad

a suffix occurring in loanwords from Greek denoting a group or unit comprising a certain number, sometimes of years: dyad; triad.

a suffix meaning “derived from,” “related to,” “concerned with,” “associated with” (oread), introduced in loanwords from Greek (Olympiad; oread), used sporadically in imitation of Greek models, as Dunciad, after Iliad.

QUIZZES

This Word Of The Day Quiz Is Far From Thersitical

Have you mastered the meaning of phronesis? How about plethoric? Take the quiz on the words from the week of February 17 to 23 to find out.

Question 1 of 7

Lincolnesque

without interest or significance; dull; insipid.

like or characteristic of Abraham Lincoln.

very high or tall; lofty.

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Words nearby -ad

-aceae, -aceous, -acious, -acity, -acy, -ad, -ade, -adelphous, -ades, -aea, -aean

Origin of -ad

Greek -ad- (stem of -as), specialization of feminine adjective-forming suffix, often used substantively

Definition for -ad (2 of 3)

-ad²

variant of -ade¹: ballad.

Definition for -ad (3 of 3)

-ad³

Anatomy, Zoology. a suffix forming adverbs from nouns signifying parts of the body, denoting a direction toward that part: dextrad; dorsad; mediad.

Origin of -ad

From the Latin word ad toward, anomalously suffixed to the noun; introduced as a suffix by Scottish anatomist John Barclay (1758–1826) in 1803

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

British Dictionary definitions for -ad (1 of 2)

-ad¹

suffix forming nouns

a group or unit (having so many parts or members)triad

an epic poem concerning (the subject indicated by the stem)Dunciad

Word Origin for -ad

via Latin from Greek -ad- (plural -ades), originally forming adjectives; names of epic poems are all formed on the model of the Iliad

British Dictionary definitions for -ad (2 of 2)

-ad²

suffix forming adverbs

denoting direction towards a specified part in anatomical descriptionscephalad

Word Origin for -ad

from Latin ad to, towards

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

Medical definitions for -ad

-ad

suff.

In the direction of; toward:cephalad.