-gamous

American  

1. a combining form with the meaning “having gametes or reproductive organs” of the kind specified by the initial element: heterogamous; also forming adjectives corresponding to nouns ending in -gamy: endogamous.

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-gamous British  

combining form

1. denoting marrying or uniting sexually

   monogamous

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Usage

What does -gamous mean? The combining form -gamous is used like a suffix meaning “having gametes or reproductive organs.” Gametes are a mature sexual reproductive cell, such as a sperm or egg, that unites with another cell to form a new organism.The form -gamous is also used to form adjectives related to the form -gamy, which means "marriage." In this sense, -gamous means roughly "married."The form -gamous is often used in scientific terms, especially in biology. It comes from Greek -gamos, meaning “marrying.”What are variants of -gamous?While -gamous doesn't have any variants, it is related to the form -gamy, as in endogamy. Additional combining forms of the same general origin include gamet-, gameto-, and gamo-. Want to know more? Read our Words That Use articles for the forms.

Etymology

Origin of -gamous

From Greek -gamos “marrying”; -ous