DEFINITIONS
The
2019 WORD
OF THE YEAR is...

-stat

a combining form used in the names of devices that stabilize or make constant what is specified by the initial element: thermostat; rheostat.

Content related to -stat

buffRead more in this article about some frequently asked questions and fun facts related to our definitions.
READ MORE
The Words That Make Us Tick: What Users Are Looking Up On Dictionary.com Every DayYou may have noticed a nifty new tool scrolling across the top of Dictionary.com. But, what makes it tick?
READ MORE

Words nearby -stat

-splain, -spore, -sporous, -st, -stasis, -stat, -ster, -stichous, -stome, -stomous, -stomy

Origin of -stat

< Greek -statēs, equivalent to sta- (stem of histánai to make stand; see stand) + -tēs agent noun suffix
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

British Dictionary definitions for -stat

-stat

n combining form

indicating a device that causes something to remain stationary or constantthermostat

Word Origin for -stat

from Greek -statēs, from histanai to cause to stand
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

Medicine definitions for -stat

-stat

suff.

Something that stabilizes:barostat.
Something that inhibits:hemostat.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.