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 Bandelier, Adolph Francis Alphonse
If passed, it would become effective after Dec. 31, 2033.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 22, 2026
Silver hit the lowest it has traded at since Dec. 4, 2025—and its fifth decline into the close in the past seven trading sessions.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026
Born Halroy Candis Williams on Dec. 14, 1938, in Columbus, Ohio, Williams was working as a juvenile corrections officer when he decided to pursue his dreams of becoming an actor.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 16, 2026
“For families who are considering a move into Silverado Memory Care at Beach Cities today, please know that you can do so with confidence,” the Dec. 23 letter stated.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 9, 2026
I Dec. 1943 Well, we did stop them.
From "Code Name Verity" by Elizabeth Wein
The King joked: "I've always wondered whether someone would put Ant and Dec back in their box."
From BBC ● May 11, 2026
You suspect even the watching Ant and Dec did not necessarily envisage that hoodoo ending on Saturday.
From BBC ● Mar. 14, 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.
