dec-
variant of deca- before a vowel.
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dec-
1 American
dec.
2
American
abbreviation
dec.
3
American
abbreviation
-
deceased.
-
decimeter.
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declension.
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decrease.
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Music. decrescendo.
Dec.
4
American
abbreviation
dec.
1
British
abbreviation
-
deceased
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music decrescendo
Dec
2
British
abbreviation
Usage
What does dec- mean? Dec- is a combining form used like a prefix meaning “ten.” It appears in a small range of terms. Dec- comes from the Greek déka, meaning “ten.” The word December is related to this root via the Latin equivalent, decem. In fact, what is now the twelfth month of the year was once the tenth month of the early Roman calendar. Learn more at our entry for December. What are variants of dec-?Dec- is a variant of deca-, which loses its -a- when combined with words or word elements beginning with vowels. A similar prefix is deka-, which is reserved for the naming of metric units, and a related Latin-origin form is deci-, from Latin decimus, “tenth.”Want to know more? Check out our Words That Use articles for deca-, deci-, and deka-.
Etymology
Origin of dec.
From the Latin word dēcantā
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Timing of Tress dec. will make sense after you read it.”
From Chicago Tribune ● May 30, 2011
According to Herrera, dec. vi. lib. i. cap. vii. p.
From Historical Introduction to Studies Among the Sedentary Indians of New Mexico; Report on the Ruins of the Pueblo of Pecos Papers Of The Archæological Institute Of America, American Series, Vol. I by Adolph Francis Alphonse Bandelier
If you enroll by Dec. 15, coverage begins Jan. 1.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 12, 2026
It happened on Dec. 11, 2001, while the U.S. bombed the Tora Bora caves in Afghanistan and President Bush led a worldwide commemoration marking the three-month anniversary of 9/11.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 11, 2026
At a California Federation of Labor event on Dec. 3, Regan told Orr that “state council better endorse this measure by Jan. 1 or I’m coming for you,” she told investigators in both probes.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 11, 2026
On Dec. 11, 2025, Trump issued what he characterized as a pardon of Peters.
From Slate ● Sep. 8, 2026
I Dec. 1943 Well, we did stop them.
From "Code Name Verity" by Elizabeth Wein
Another big win went to Sir David Attenborough, who was named Best Presenter in his 100th birthday year, beating popular duo Ant and Dec, whose 23-year winning streak was broken by Gary Lineker last year.
From BBC ● Sep. 9, 2026
However, Thomas got a reprieve when hosts Ant and Dec gave the other campmates the choice of whether he should be allowed to remain, and they unanimously agreed he should.
From BBC ● Apr. 22, 2026
Such tariffs accounted for about 67% of the tariffs collected in the 2025 fiscal year, which runs through September, and 57% of the tariffs collected between the end of September and Dec 14.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 20, 2026
Warsh “is coming with hawkish credentials,” said Dec Mullarkey, managing director of SLC Management.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 30, 2026
Dec stops eating long enough to gape at me, her mouth full of partially chewed casserole.
From "All The Bright Places" by Jennifer Niven
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
