hylo-

American  

1. a combining form meaning “wood,” “matter,” used in the formation of compound words.

   hylophagous; hylotheism.

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hylo- British  

combining form

1. indicating matter (as distinguished from spirit)

   hylozoism

2. indicating wood

   hylophagous

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Usage

What does hylo- mean? Hylo- is a combining form used like a prefix. In terms from biology, hylo- typically is used to mean “wood.” In terms from philosophy, hylo- typically is used to mean "matter." It is occasionally used in scientific terms, especially in biology. Hylo- comes from Greek hȳ́lē, meaning “wood” or “matter,” as in the substance of the universe. Another Greek-based combining form meaning “wood” is xylo-, which you can learn more about in our Words That Use article on the form. The Latin translation of Greek hȳ́lē is lignum, meaning “wood.” To learn more, check out our Words That Use article on the combining forms lign-, ligni-, and ligno-.

Etymology

Origin of hylo-

< Greek, combining form of hȳ́lē wood, matter

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