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.
Charles and Camilla switched places with Ant and Dec at the end of the night as the royals came out on stage while the TV duo were in the royal box.
From BBC • May 11, 2026
A High Court judge has said there is a "good arguable case" that wrongdoing was committed against Ant and Dec in deals to buy and sell Banksy artworks.
From BBC • Mar. 4, 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.
