dec-
variant of deca- before a vowel.
dec-
1 American
dec.
2
American
abbreviation
dec.
3
American
abbreviation
-
deceased.
-
decimeter.
-
declension.
-
decrease.
-
Music. decrescendo.
Dec.
4
American
abbreviation
dec.
1
British
abbreviation
-
deceased
-
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
Within a week or so, I was granted Platinum status on American through Dec. 16.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2026
To be clear, people who move to Florida after Dec. 31, 2026 would get a smaller exemption; they would have to live in the state for five years before they get the full exemption.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 8, 2026
Their analysis found that cold and dense winter air shifts the balance toward Arabia, Asia, and northern Africa around Dec. 21 each year.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 7, 2026
With the arrival of the new Marvel Comics app, Marvel Unlimited will “sunset” on Dec. 7.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 6, 2026
“I received her wedding cards about Dec. 10,” he wrote.
From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson
Ant and Dec enlisted the intermediary, a consultant referred to as X in court, to help them buy, sell and loan the artworks as they built up a contemporary art collection.
From BBC ● Mar. 4, 2026
They now want to "uncover what really happened in relation to these transactions" and where any missing money went, Harry Martin, for Ant and Dec, told Tuesday's hearing.
From BBC ● Mar. 3, 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.
