ferri-

American  

especially before a vowel, ferr-.

1. a combining form with the meanings “iron,” “ferric,” used in the formation of compound words.

   ferriferous; ferricyanide.

---

ferri- British  

combining form

1. indicating the presence of iron, esp in the trivalent state Compare ferro-

   ferricyanide

   ferriferous

---

Usage

What does ferri- mean? Ferri- is a combining form used like a prefix meaning “iron.” Ferri- is often used in scientific terms, especially in chemistry. In many terms from chemistry, ferri- is used specifically to mean "ferric," a technical term meaning "of or containing iron, especially in the trivalent state," which is when an iron ion contains three valence electrons. Ferri- comes from Latin ferrum, meaning “iron.” The Greek equivalent was sídēros, “iron,” which is the source of the combining form sidero-, as in siderite and siderocyte. What are variants of ferri-?When combined with words or word elements that begin with a vowel, ferri- becomes ferr-, as in ferrate. The combining form ferro- shares the same Latin root as ferri- but is used in terms from chemistry to mean "ferrous," which means "of or containing iron, especially in the bivalent state,” which is when an iron ion contains two valence electrons. Want to learn more? Check out our Words That Use entries for ferr- and ferro-.

Etymology

Origin of ferri-

< Latin, combining form of ferrum iron