-atory

American  

1. a combination of -ate and -ory or -ory, used infrequently as an independent suffix with the same senses as -ory and -ory: affirmatory; observatory .

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-atory British  

suffix

1. of, relating to, characterized by, or serving to

   circulatory

   exploratory

   migratory

   explanatory

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Etymology

Origin of -atory

< Latin -ātōrius, -a, -um, originally the termination of adjectives formed with -tōrius ( -tory ¹, -tory ² ) and verbs whose stems ended in -ā-; reanalyzed in English in the same way as -ator

Example Sentences

Stump′er, one who stumps; Stump′-or′ator, one who harangues the multitude from a temporary platform, as the stump of a tree: a speaker who travels about the country, and whose appeals are mainly to the passions of his audience; Stump′-or′atory; Stump′-speech, an impromptu speech delivered on any improvised platform, any speech made all round a district by some frothy agitator.—adj.

From Project Gutenberg

Self′-accus′atory; Self′-act′ing, acting of, or by, itself, specially denoting a machine or mechanism which does of itself something that is ordinarily done by manual labour.—n.

From Project Gutenberg

Self′-exist′ent, existing of or by himself or itself, independent of any other cause; Self′-explan′atory, obvious, bearing its meaning in its own face.—n.

From Project Gutenberg

San′atory, healing: conducive to health.

From Project Gutenberg

Ob′servātor, one who observes: a remarker; Observ′atory, a place for making astronomical and physical observations, usually placed in some high and stable place; Observ′er.—adj.

From Project Gutenberg