en-

¹

1. a prefix occurring originally in loanwords from French and productive in English on this model, forming verbs with the general sense “to cause (a person or thing) to be in” the place, condition, or state named by the stem; more specifically, “to confine in or place on” (enshrine; enthrone; entomb ); “to cause to be in” (enslave; entrust; enrich; encourage; endear ); “to restrict” in the manner named by the stem, typically with the additional sense “on all sides, completely” (enwind; encircle; enclose; entwine ). This prefix is also attached to verbs in order to make them transitive, or to give them a transitive marker if they are already transitive (enkindle; enliven; enshield; enface ).

-en

²

1. a suffix formerly used to form transitive and intransitive verbs from adjectives (fasten; harden; sweeten ), or from nouns (heighten; lengthen; strengthen ).

en-

³

1. a prefix meaning “within, in,” occurring in loanwords from Greek.

   energy; enthusiasm.

-en

⁴

1. a suffix used to form adjectives of source or material from nouns.

   ashen; golden; oaken.

-en

⁵

1. a suffix used to mark the past participle in many strong and some weak verbs.

   taken; proven.

-en

⁶

1. a suffix used in forming the plural of some nouns.

   brethren; children; oxen.

-en

⁷

1. a diminutive suffix.

   kitten; maiden.

en

⁸

[en]

noun

1. the letter N, n.

2. Also called nut. Printing.,  half of the width of an em.

adjective

1. Printing.,  having the area of an en quad or the length of an en.

   en quad; en dash.

EN

⁹

abbreviation

Biology, Ecology.

1. endangered.

en-

¹

prefix

1. (from nouns)

   1. put in or on

      entomb

      enthrone

   2. go on or into

      enplane

   3. surround or cover with

      enmesh

   4. furnish with

      empower

2. (from adjectives and nouns) cause to be in a certain condition

   enable

   encourage

   enrich

   enslave

EN

²

abbreviation

1. enrolled nurse

2. English Nature

-en

³

suffix

1. cause to be; become; cause to have

   blacken

   heighten

-en

⁴

suffix

1. of; made of; resembling

   ashen

   earthen

   wooden

en-

⁵

prefix

1. in; into; inside

   endemic

en

⁶

/ ɛn /

noun

1. Also called: nut. printing a unit of measurement, half the width of an em See also ennage

Word History and Origins

Origin of en-¹

Middle English < Old French < Latin in- in- ²

Origin of en-²

Middle English, Old English -n- (as in Middle English fastnen, Old English fǣstnian “to make fast, fasten”); cognate with -n- of like verbs in other Germanic languages ( Old Norse fastna )

Origin of en-³

From Greek (often through Latin ); cognate with in- ¹, in- ²

Origin of en-⁴

Middle English, Old English; cognate with Old High German -īn, Gothic -eins, Latin -īnus; -ine ¹

Origin of en-⁵

Middle English, Old English; cognate with German -en, Old Norse -inn

Origin of en-⁶

Middle English; Old English -an, case ending of n-stem nouns, as in naman oblique singular, and nominative and accusative plural of nama “name”; akin to n-stem forms in other Indo-European languages, as in Latin nōmen, nōmin- “name”

Origin of en-⁷

Middle English, Old English, from neuter of -en ²

Origin of en-⁸

First recorded in 1785–95

Word History and Origins

Origin of en-¹

via Old French from Latin in- _in- ²

Origin of en-²

Old English -n-, as in fæst-n-ian to fasten, of common Germanic origin; compare Icelandic fastna

Origin of en-³

Old English -en; related to Gothic -eins, Latin -īnus _-ine ¹

Origin of en-⁴

from Greek (often via Latin); compare _in- ¹ , _in- ²

Example Sentences

En esta misma época del año pasado, la presión era palpable.

From Los Angeles Times

Hasta el pasado mes de octubre, los Dodgers tenían fama de fracasar en la postemporada.

From Los Angeles Times

En cada una de las dos temporadas anteriores, el equipo había sido derrotado en la Serie Divisional de la Liga Nacional por rivales inferiores, los San Diego Padres y los Arizona Diamondbacks.

From Los Angeles Times

El otoño anterior, su defensa del título se esfumó contra los Atlanta Braves, un equipo menos favorito, en la Serie de Campeonato de la Liga Nacional.

From Los Angeles Times

Sí, ganaron la Serie Mundial en la temporada 2020, acortada por la pandemia.

From Los Angeles Times