Jump To:

• IC
  IC

  immediate constituent.
• -ic
  -ic

  a suffix forming adjectives from other parts of speech, occurring originally in Greek and Latin loanwords (metallic; poetic; archaic; public ) and, on this model, used as an adjective-forming suffix with the particular senses “having some characteristics of” (opposed to the simple attributive use of the base noun) (balletic; sophomoric ); “in the style of” (Byronic; Miltonic ); “pertaining to a family of peoples or languages” (Finnic; Semitic; Turkic ).
• I.C.
  I.C.

  abbreviation

  Jesus Christ.
• i/c
  i/c

  abbreviation

  in charge (of)

IC

¹ American  

ICs plural

1. immediate constituent.

2. Electronics. integrated circuit.

3. intensive care.

---

-ic ² American  

1. a suffix forming adjectives from other parts of speech, occurring originally in Greek and Latin loanwords (metallic; poetic; archaic; public ) and, on this model, used as an adjective-forming suffix with the particular senses “having some characteristics of” (opposed to the simple attributive use of the base noun) (balletic; sophomoric ); “in the style of” (Byronic; Miltonic ); “pertaining to a family of peoples or languages” (Finnic; Semitic; Turkic ).

2. Chemistry. a suffix, specialized in opposition to -ous, used to show the higher of two valences.

   ferric chloride.

3. a noun suffix occurring chiefly in loanwords from Greek, where such words were originally adjectival (critic; magic; music ).

---

I.C. ³ American  

abbreviation

1. Jesus Christ.

---

IC ¹ British  

abbreviation

1. internal-combustion

2. electronics integrated circuit

3. text messaging I see

4. (in transformational grammar) immediate constituent

5. astrology Imum Coeli: the point on the ecliptic lying directly opposite the Midheaven

---

-ic ² British  

suffix

1. of, relating to, or resembling See also -ical

   allergic

   Germanic

   periodic

2. (in chemistry) indicating that an element is chemically combined in the higher of two possible valence states Compare -ous

   ferric

   stannic

---

i/c ³ British  

abbreviation

1. in charge (of)

---

Etymology

Origin of -ic²

Middle English -ic, -ik, from Latin -icus; in many words representing the cognate Greek -ikos (directly or through Latin ); in some words replacing -ique, from French, from Latin -icus

Origin of I.C.³

< Latin I ( ēsus ) C ( hrīstus )

Example Sentences

In words belonging to chemistry derivatives in -ic denote the acid containing most oxygen, when more than one is formed: as nitric acid.

From New Word-Analysis by William Swinton

A ternary acid with the termination -ic gives a salt with the name ending in -ate, while an acid with termination -ous gives a salt with the name ending in -ite.

From An Elementary Study of Chemistry by McPherson, William

An acid terminating in -ous forms a salt ending in -ite, and an oxyacid ending in -ic forms a salt ending in -ate.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 6, Slice 1 "Châtelet" to "Chicago" by Various

If more than two be known, the one inferior in oxygen content has the prefix hypo- and the termination -ous, and the one superior in oxygen content has the prefix per- and the termination -ic.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 6, Slice 1 "Châtelet" to "Chicago" by Various

The affixes -ous and sub- refer to the compounds containing more of the positive element, -ic and per- to those containing less.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 6, Slice 1 "Châtelet" to "Chicago" by Various

Related Words

• chip
• circuitry
• microchip
• microprocessor
• silicon chip