dec-

¹ American  

1. variant of deca- before a vowel.

   decathlon.

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dec. ² American  

abbreviation

1. (in prescriptions) pour off.

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dec. ³ American  

abbreviation

1. deceased.

2. decimeter.

3. declension.

4. decrease.

5. Music. decrescendo.

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Dec. ⁴ American  

abbreviation

1. December.

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dec. ¹ British  

abbreviation

1. deceased

2. music decrescendo

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Dec ² British  

abbreviation

1. December

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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

On platforms such as Kalshi, where Carozza won his bet on Dec. 17, mention trading has drawn both casual bettors and data-crunchers who study transcripts of corporate earnings calls to identify frequently mentioned words.

From The Wall Street Journal

Tariffs, struck down by the Supreme Court on Friday, bought in more than $200 billion in revenue between Jan. 20 and Dec. 15 of last year.

From Barron's

Among them was an additional 25-cent-per-share “ticking fee” for every quarter Paramount’s bid fails to close after Dec. 31, 2026, which could amount to an additional $650 million per quarter.

From MarketWatch

AppLovin stock has declined 48% since Dec. 22 and exhibits high volatility, with a 90-day beta of 3.98.

From Barron's

AppLovin stock has declined around 49% since hitting a record closing high of $733.60 on Dec. 22., according to Dow Jones Market Data.

From Barron's