ferro-

American  

1. variant of ferri-: ferroconcrete. In chemical terminology, the meanings of ferri- and ferro- are specialized to correspond to ferric and ferrous.

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ferro- British  

combining form

1. indicating a property of iron or the presence of iron

   ferromagnetism

   ferromanganese

2. indicating the presence of iron in the divalent state Compare ferri-

   ferrocyanide

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Usage

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

Etymology

Origin of ferro-

From Latin ferr(um) “iron” + -o-

Example Sentences

Possibly, if such a blue could be produced, it might exceed in permanence the ferro- and ferri-cyanides of iron.

From Field's Chromatography or Treatise on Colours and Pigments as Used by Artists by Salter, Thomas