gamy
or gam·ey
OTHER WORDS FROM gamy
gam·i·ly, adverbun·gam·y, adjectiveOther definitions for gamy (2 of 2)
Origin of -gamy
WORDS THAT USE -GAMY
What does -gamy mean?
The combining form -gamy is used like a suffix with a variety of meanings. In terms from botany, it typically means “fertilization, pollination.“ In other contexts, -gamy is used to mean “marriage” or “union.”
The form -gamy is also used to form nouns related to terms ending in -gamous. It is often used in scientific terms, especially in biology.
The form -gamy comes from Greek -gamía, meaning “act of marrying.”
What are variants of -gamy?
While -gamy doesn’t have any variants, it is related to the form -gamous, as in cleistogamous. 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.
Examples of -gamy
One example of a word you may have come across that features the form -gamy is polygamy, “the practice or condition of having more than one spouse, especially wife, at one time.” Polygamy comes from Greek polygamía, which uses the equivalent form of -gamy.
The form poly- means “many,” from Greek polýs. Here, the form -gamy means “marriage.” Polygamy literally translates to “marriage to many (people).”
What are some words that use the combining form -gamy?
- anisogamy
- autoallogamy
- bigamy (using the equivalent form of -gamy in Latin)
- endogamy
- syngamy
- xenogamy
What are some other forms that -gamy may be commonly confused with?