-graphy

American  

1. a combining form denoting a process or form of drawing, writing, representing, recording, describing, etc., or an art or science concerned with such a process.

   biography; choreography; geography; orthography; photography.

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-graphy British  

combining form

1. indicating a form or process of writing, representing, etc

   calligraphy

   photography

2. indicating an art or descriptive science

   choreography

   oceanography

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Usage

What does -graphy mean? The combining form -graphy is used like a suffix meaning “a process or form of drawing, writing, representing, recording, describing, etc.” or "an art or science concerned with such a process." It is often used in scientific and technical terms. The form -graphy comes from Greek -graphia, used to denote abstract nouns of action or function related to -graphos, meaning "drawn or written." To learn more, read our entry on graph. What are variants of -graphy?While -graphy doesn't have any variants, it is related to the forms -graph, as in radiograph, and -graphic, as in histographic. Want to know more? Read our Words That Use articles on -graphy and -graphic.

Etymology

Origin of -graphy

< Greek -graphia. See -graph, -y ³