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• chiro
  chiro

  noun

  the ladyfish, Elops saurus.
• chiro-
  chiro-

  a combining form meaning “hand,” used in the formation of compound words.

chiro

¹ American  

[cheer-oh] / ˈtʃɪər oʊ /

noun

plural

chiros

1. the ladyfish, Elops saurus.

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chiro- ² American  

1. a combining form meaning “hand,” used in the formation of compound words.

   chiromancy.

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chiro- ¹ British  

combining form

1. indicating the hand; of or by means of the hand

   chiromancy

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chiro ² British  

/ ˈkaɪrəʊ /

noun

1. informal a chiropractor

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Usage

What does chiro- mean? Chiro- is a combining form used like a prefix meaning “hand.” It is often used in medical and scientific terms. Chiro- comes from the Greek cheír, meaning “hand.” Bats (the winged mammals) are sometimes called chiropters, a name that literally means “hand-winged,” because their wing membranes are supported by the extended digits of the forelimbs. And chiromancy, another word for palmistry, is the art or practice of telling fortunes and interpreting character from the lines and configurations of the palm of a person's hand; it literally means “hand divination.”What are variants of chiro-?When combined with words or word elements that begin with a vowel, chiro- becomes chir-. Another variant of chiro- is cheiro-, as in cheirokinesthesia.

Etymology

Origin of chiro¹

Origin uncertain

Origin of chiro-²

Combining form of Greek cheír hand