desinence

American  

[des-uh-nuhns] / ˈdɛs ə nəns /

noun

1. a termination or ending, as the final line of a verse.

2. Grammar. a termination, ending, or suffix of a word.

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desinence British  

/ ˈdɛsɪnəns, ˌdɛsɪˈnɛnʃəl /

noun

1. grammar an ending or termination, esp an inflectional ending of a word

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Other Word Forms

• desinent adjective
• desinential adjective

Etymology

Origin of desinence

1590–1600; < French < Medieval Latin dēsinentia, equivalent to Latin dēsinent- (stem of dēsinēns ), present participle of dēsinere to put down, leave ( dē- de- + sinere to leave) + -ia -ia; -ence

Example Sentences

The English Bible, with its tendency to require the full name as a matter of reverence, while it supplied new names in the place of the old ones that were accustomed to the desinence, caused this.

From Project Gutenberg

Coming to baptism, we find scarcely a single name of any pretensions to popularity that did not take to itself this desinence.

From Project Gutenberg

Richelot for Richard, Hobelot and Robelot for Robert, Crestolot for Christopher, Cesselot for Cecilia, and Barbelot for Barbara, are found also, and prove that the desinence had made its mark.

From Project Gutenberg

The extreme facility with which the language lends itself to rhyming desinence has a most injurious effect upon versification.

From Project Gutenberg

There are not verses only, but whole poems, in which each line terminates with the same desinence.

From Project Gutenberg