cupr-

American  

1. variant of cupri- before a vowel.

   cupreous.

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Usage

What does cupr- mean? The combining form cupr- is used like a prefix meaning “copper.” It is occasionally used in scientific terms, especially in chemistry. The form cupr- comes from Latin cuprum, meaning “copper.” Find out how copper is related to the name of the country Cyprus at our entry for copper. The Greek translation of cuprum is khalkós, “copper,” which is the source of the combining form chalco-, as in Chalcolithic. Check out our Words That Use article for chalco- for more info. What are variants of cupr-?When combined with words or word elements that begin with a consonant, cupr- becomes cupri-, as in cupriferous, or cupro-, as in cupronickel. Want to know more? Check out our Words That Use articles for both forms.