Ge

Ge- is a combining form used like a prefix meaning “earth.” It is very occasionally used in scientific terms in a variety of fields.

Ge- comes from Greek gê, meaning “earth.” A synonym of gê is khthṓn, which is the source of several words related to the underworld, such as chthonic.

What are variants of ge-?

Ge- is a variant of geo-, which loses its -o- when combined with words or word elements beginning with vowels. Want to know more? Read our Words That Use article for geo-.

One common word that features the form geo- is geode, “a hollow concretionary or nodular stone often lined with crystals.” Geode comes from Greek geṓdēs, which features the Greek equivalent of the form ge-.

The first portion of the word, ge-, means “earth,” while the suffix -ode here means “like,” from Greek -ōdēs. Geode literally translates to “earthlike.”

What are some words that use the combining form ge-?

• geanticline
• geanticlinal

What are some other forms that ge- may be commonly confused with?

• gero-
• geront-
• geronto-

Not every word that begins with the exact letters ge-, such as gearbox or geoduck, is necessarily using the combining form geo- to denote “earth.” Learn why geoduck is the name of a kind of saltwater clam at our entry for the word.

An anticline is a technical term for a kind of fold in layers of rock. With this in mind, geanticline is a term from what among the following disciplines?

A. chemistry
B. geology
C. geometry
D. gerontology