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• phyl-
  phyl-

  variant of phylo- before a vowel.
• -phyl
  -phyl

  variant of -phyll.

phyl-

¹ American  

1. variant of phylo- before a vowel.

   phylic.

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-phyl ² American  

1. variant of -phyll.

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Usage

What does -phyl mean? The combining form -phyl is used like a suffix meaning “leaf.” It is occasionally used in scientific terms, especially in biology. The form -phyl comes from Greek phýllon, meaning “leaf.” The Latin cognate of phýllon is folium, also meaning “leaf,” which is the source of words such as foil, foliage, and folio. To learn more, check out our entries for these three terms. What are variants of -phyl?In most instances, -phyl is spelled with an additional terminal -l, becoming -phyll, as in microphyll. When combined as the first element of the word, the form -phyl becomes phyllo- or phyll-, as in phyllophore. Want to know more? Read our Words That Use articles on -phyl, phyllo-, and phyl-.