penta-

American  

especially before a vowel, pent-.

1. a combining form occurring in loanwords from Greek, meaning “five” (Pentateuch ); on this model, used in the formation of compound words (pentavalent ).

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penta- British  

combining form

1. five

   pentagon

   pentameter

   pentaprism

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Usage

What does penta- mean? Penta- is a combining form used like a prefix meaning “five.” It is used in a great many scientific and other technical terms.In chemistry, penta- is specifically used to indicate five atoms or five groups of atoms in compounds, e.g., pentazocine.Penta- comes from the Greek pénte, meaning “five.”In Christianity, the Pentecost is a festival celebrated on the seventh Sunday after Easter. In Judaism, it refers to Shavuoth, a festival that commemorates God’s giving of the Ten Commandments to Moses. Pentecost takes its name from another Greek word closely related to pénte, pentēkostḗ, “fifttieth,” and was so named because Jewish Pentecost is observed on the fiftieth day (Greek, pentēkostḗ hēmérā) after the second day of Passover.In English poetry and drama, iambic pentameter is a line of verse that consists of five metrical feet (pentameter) in which the first syllable is unstressed and is followed by a stressed syllable (iambic). Shakespeare, among many others, most often wrote his plays in iambic pentameter.What are variants of penta-?When combined with words or word elements that begin with a vowel, penta- becomes pent-, as in pentane.

Etymology

Origin of penta-

< Greek pent-, penta-, comb. forms representing pénte five

Example Sentences

Rollins, a two-time WWE Championship winner nicknamed “The Visionary,” defeated luchador enmascarado Penta in the main event Monday and will face LA Knight in the main event Saturday.

From Los Angeles Times

Milton is not occurring “in isolation from the other disasters going on,” said Samantha Penta, a professor of emergency management at the University of Albany.

From Salon

“Collectively, Helene and Milton highlight the importance of investing in our emergency response and disaster recovery capabilities at all levels,” Penta said.

From Salon

“You can now mix the luchadores with the American muscle giants like Hulk Hogan, and Penta proved that at Lucha Underground.”

From Los Angeles Times

Volodymyr Fesenko, head of the Kyiv-based Penta Center independent think tank, believes that Zelenskyy “will try to play with China… in order not to allow China and Russia to come closer together.”

From Seattle Times