deka-

American  

especially before a vowel, dek-

1. a combining form meaning “ten,” used in the names of metric units which are ten times the size of the unit denoted by the base word.

   dekaliter.

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deka- British  

combining form

1. variants of deca-

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Usage

What does deka- mean? Deka- is a combining form used like a prefix meaning “ten.” It is primarily used in the names of metric units to indicate that the measure is ten times the size of the unit denoted by the base word. Deka- comes from Greek déka, meaning “ten.” The related combining form deca- also means "ten”; deka- is almost exclusively used for the naming of metric units, as opposed to deca-, which is used in a variety of terms. What are variants of deka-?When combined with words or word elements that begin with a vowel, deka- becomes dek-, as in dekare. When combined with words or word elements that begin with a vowel, deca- becomes dec-, as in decathlon. A related Latin-origin form is deci-, from Latin decimus, “tenth.”Want to know more? Check out our Words That Use articles for dec-, deca-, and deci-.

Etymology

Origin of deka-

From Greek deka-, combining form of déka ten

Example Sentences

Decadent: From Greek deka-, ten + French dent, tooth: Linguistic relic from a time when having only a few remaining teeth indicated a lifestyle rich in costly sugar and chocolate.

From Washington Post • Oct. 20, 2016