anhydro-

American  

Chemistry.

1. a combining form representing anhydride in compound words.

   anhydroglucose.

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Usage

What does anhydro- mean? Anhydro- is a combining form used like a prefix meaning “anhydride.” Anhydride is a term from chemistry that means "a compound formed by removing water from a more complex compound." Anhydro- can also be used to mean "without water" more generally. It is used in scientific terms, especially in chemistry.Anhydro- ultimately comes from Greek ánȳdros, meaning “waterless.” Ánȳdros comprises two elements: a-, which is a variant of an-, meaning “not” or “without,” and hýdōr, meaning “water.” To learn more, check out our Words That Use article on the combining form hydro-.What are variants of anhydro-?When combined with words or word elements that begin with a vowel, anhydro- becomes anhydr-, as in anhydremia. Want to know more? Read our Words That Use article for anhydr-.