deca-

1. a combining form meaning “ten,” used in the formation of compound words:

   decapod.

deca-

prefix

1. denoting ten: decagon . In conjunction with scientific units the symbol da is used

deca–

1. A prefix that means “ten,” as in decahedron, a polygon having ten faces.

Word History and Origins

Origin of deca-¹

< Greek deka-, combining form of déka ten; cognate with Latin decem

Word History and Origins

Origin of deca-¹

from Greek deka

Example Sentences

This second treatise is the Discorsi sopra la prima deca di Tito Livio.

From Project Gutenberg

Deca as el pergamino rabe:(p91) La bendicin de Alah sea con los hombres buenos que lean estas letras.

From Project Gutenberg

Perdonadme, seores, deca el pobre alcaide; y yo no os ocultar nada, siquiera sea en contra mia.

From Project Gutenberg

Nos deca que las selvas all son muy espesas y que la lucha entre las especies animales hace su caza difcil.

From Project Gutenberg

Por eso deca un dentista, ahora aos, que el nacimiento de un nio en Cuba es un hecho altamente significativo.

From Project Gutenberg

Words That Use Deca-

What does deca- mean?

Deca- is a combining form used like a prefix meaning “ten.” It is used occasionally in technical and scientific terms.

Deca- comes from Greek déka, meaning “ten.” A related Latin-origin form is deci-, from Latin decimus, “tenth.” Want to learn more? Check out our Words That Use entry for deci-.

Despite the similarity between the two forms, it’s important not to confuse deca-, meaning “ten,” with deci-, which means “tenth.” A decagram is ten grams (10 g), but a decigram is one-tenth of a gram (0.1 g).

What are variants of deca-?

When combined with words or word elements that begin with a vowel, deca- becomes dec-, as in decathlon. A related prefix is deka-, which is reserved for the naming of metric units.

Want to know more? Check out our Words That Use articles for dec- and deka-.

Examples of deca-

An example of a term that features deca- is decagon, “a polygon having ten angles and ten sides.” Decagon comes from Medieval Latin decagōnum, which features the equivalent of the form deca-.

We know deca- means “ten,” while the -gon portion of the word, from Greek gōnía, means “angled, angular.” Decagon literally translates to “ten angles.”

What are some words that use the combining form deca-?

• decadrachm
• decapod (using the equivalent form of deca- in Latin)
• decastyle using the equivalent form of deca- in Greek)
• decastylos using the equivalent form of deca- in Latin)
• decasyllable
• decanormal

What are some other forms that deca- may be commonly confused with?

• dactylo-
• de-
• deci-
• deka-
• dextro-
• dodeca-

Not every word that begins with the letters deca-, such as decadence or decapitate, is necessarily using the combining form deca- to denote “ten.” Learn why decadence is related to “decay” at our entry for the word.

Break it down!

The combining form -pod means “(one having a kind of) foot.” With this in mind, why are crustaceans such as crabs, lobsters, and crayfish known as decapods?