DEFINITIONS
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-ling

1

a suffix of nouns, often pejorative, denoting one concerned with (hireling; underling), or diminutive (princeling; duckling).

Content related to -ling

English Affixes From A To Z: A One-Stop List Of Suffixes, Prefixes, and Combining FormsIn English, we love to make new words by adding all sorts of bits to the front and back of existing terms. These are called affixes, and they are added to the base or stem of a word. When attached to the end of word, the affix is called a suffix. And to the beginning? A prefix.
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Words nearby -ling

-lent, -lepsy, -less, -let, -like, -ling, -lings, -lipped, -lite, -lith, -lithic

Origin of -ling

1
Middle English, Old English; cognate with German -ling, Old Norse -lingr, Gothic -lings; see -le, -ing1

Definition for -ling (2 of 2)

-ling2

an adverbial suffix expressing direction, position, state, etc.: darkling; sideling.

Origin of -ling

2
Middle English, Old English; adv. use of gradational variant lang long1
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

British Dictionary definitions for -ling (1 of 2)

-ling1

suffix forming nouns

often derogatory a person or thing belonging to or associated with the group, activity, or quality specifiednestling; underling
used as a diminutiveduckling

Word Origin for -ling

Old English -ling, of Germanic origin; related to Icelandic -lingr, Gothic -lings

British Dictionary definitions for -ling (2 of 2)

-ling2

suffix forming adverbs

in a specified condition, manner, or directiondarkling; sideling

Word Origin for -ling

Old English -ling, adverbial suffix
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