cosmo-

American  

1. a combining form meaning “world,” “universe,” used in the formation of compound words: cosmography; in contemporary usage, sometimes representing Russian kosmo-, it may mean “outer space,” “space travel,” or “cosmic ray”: cosmonaut .

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cosmo- British  

combining form

1. indicating the world or universe

   cosmology

   cosmonaut

   cosmography

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Usage

What does cosmo- mean? Cosmo- is a combining form used like a prefix meaning “world” or "universe." In some cases, it represents "outer space."Cosmo- comes from the Greek kósmos, variously meaning “order, good order, government, world order, the universe.” The Greek kósmos is ultimately the source of the English words cosmos, cosmic, cosmopolitan, and cosmetics, among others. What does makeup have to do with the universe? Find out at our entry for the word. What are variants of cosmo-?When combined with words or word elements that begin with a vowel, cosmo- becomes cosm-, as in cosmism. When used as the final element of a compound word, cosmo- becomes -cosm, as is microcosm.

Etymology

Origin of cosmo-

From Greek kosmo-, combining form of kósmos “order, good order, government, world order, the universe”; see origin at cosmos