ped
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ped
1 American
PED
2
American
ped-
3
American
especially British,
paed-
ped-
4
American
ped-
5
American
-ped
6
American
ped.
7
American
abbreviation
-
pedal.
-
pedestal.
-ped
1
British
combining form
ped-
2
British
combining form
Usage
What does ped- mean? Ped- is a combining form used like a prefix that has three distinct senses. The first of these senses is “child,” and this form of ped- is occasionally used in a variety of scientific and technical terms. The form ped- in this sense comes from Greek paîs, meaning “child.”The second of these senses is "foot," and this form of ped- is occasionally used in a variety of scientific and technical terms. The form ped- in this sense comes from Latin pēs, meaning "foot."The third of these senses is “soil,” and this form of ped- is very rarely used in a variety of scientific terms. The form ped- in this sense comes from Greek pédon, meaning “ground” or “earth.”What are variants of ped- with the sense “child”?When combined with words or word elements that begin with a consonant, ped- becomes pedo-, as in pedogenesis. Want to know more? Read our Words That Use article about pedo-. In British English, ped- in this sense is chiefly spelled paed-, as in paediatrics. What are variants of ped- with the sense “foot”?When combined with words or word elements that begin with a consonant, ped- becomes pedi-, as in pedicab. Want to know more? Read our Words That Use article about pedi-. When combined as a final element of a word, the related form -ped means "having a foot." To learn more, read our Words That Use feature on -ped below. What are variants of ped- with the sense “soil”?When combined with words or word elements that begin with a consonant, ped- becomes pedo-, as in pedology. Want to know more? Read our Words That Use article about pedo-.
What does -ped mean? The combining form -ped is used like a suffix meaning “having a foot.” It is occasionally used in scientific terms, especially in biology. The form -ped comes from Latin -pēs, meaning “-footed.” The Greek cognate of -pēs is -pous, “-footed,” which is the source of numerous combining forms that relate to the lower extremities, including pod-, podo-, -pod, -poda, -pode, -podium, and -podous. Discover more at our Words That Use articles for each of these seven forms. What are variants of -ped?A variant of -ped is -pede, as in centipede, which comes from Latin centipeda. Though not a variant, the form pedi- has the same root as -ped. Want to know more? Read our Words That Use articles for -pede and pedi-.
Etymology
Origin of ped1
By shortening
Origin of -ped6
< Latin -ped-, stem of -pēs -footed, adj. derivative of pēs foot
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The PED gave Epstein a campus office, where he would meet—often on weekends—with top researchers and government officials.
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 21, 2025
Trent Grisham had two doubles and four RBIs, Xander Bogaerts added a two-run homer and the Padres beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 7-5 in Tatis’ return from a PED suspension Thursday night.
From Washington Times • Apr. 21, 2023
In the domestic draft, the top 300 players are subject to random PED testing upon registering for the draft.
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 8, 2022
There’s virtually no doubt that there are PED users in the Hall already, and there’s something holier-than-thou about keeping others out.
From Washington Post • Jan. 25, 2022
Before the positive test for a PED masking agent, Cano was considered on track for eventual enshrinement in Cooperstown.
From Seattle Times • Jul. 10, 2018
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
