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

Because of the hamstring injury suffered four days before against the Detroit Lions, Adams was not on the field on Dec. 18, when the Seahawks defeated the Rams 38-37 in overtime at Lumen Field.

From Los Angeles Times

Goossen said he began working with Barrios to prepare for Garcia on Dec. 1.

From Los Angeles Times

According to the new agreement, the Justice Department withdrew its requests for those specific records — which had yet to be produced by the hospital — on Dec. 8, and told Children’s Hospital to redact the personally identifying information of patients in other records it was still demanding.

From Los Angeles Times

Rodman’s initial contract with Washington expired on Dec. 31, making her a free agent.

From Los Angeles Times

Round number theory came into play with a bearish engulfing candle at $20 on June 23, which preceded a 71% decline until a doji on Dec. 16 signaled the potential turnaround.

From Barron's