phyl-

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-.

An example of a term you may have come across that features the form –phyl is chlorophyl, also spelled chlorophyll, “the green coloring matter of leaves and plants.”

The chloro– part of the word chlorophyl means “green,” from Greek chlōrós. As we have seen, the form –phyl means “leaf.” Chlorophyl literally translates to “green leaf.”

What are some words that use the combining form –phyl?

• coleophyl
• sporophyl
• xanthophyl (using the equivalent form of –phyll in French)

What are some other forms that –phyll may be commonly confused with?

• -phily
• -phyte

The combining form xantho– means “yellow.” With this in mind, what does xanthophyl literally mean?