dec.

¹ American  

abbreviation

1. (in prescriptions) pour off.

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dec. ² American  

abbreviation

1. deceased.

2. decimeter.

3. declension.

4. decrease.

5. Music. decrescendo.

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dec- ³ American  

1. variant of deca- before a vowel.

   decathlon.

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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

The 73-year-old Golden Globe winner was served with a three-day notice on Dec. 18, informing him that he needed to either pay the rent owed or vacate the premises, according to court documents filed with the Los Angeles County Superior Court earlier this week.

From MarketWatch

Since Dec. 24, a postmark no longer shows the date you deposited a piece of mail with the U.S.

From The Wall Street Journal

And billionaire Peter Thiel disclosed on Dec. 31 that he has opened a new office in Miami, in a state that not only has no wealth tax but no income tax.

From Los Angeles Times

On Dec. 19, a Kern County Superior Court judge approved a motion filed by Scrivner’s attorney, H.A.

From Los Angeles Times

During Scrivner’s Dec. 19 court appearance, according to the Californian, Deputy Atty.

From Los Angeles Times