Ile

¹ American  

abbreviation

Biochemistry.

1. isoleucine.

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ile- ² American  

1. variant of ileo- before a vowel.

   ileac.

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-ile ³ American  

1. a suffix of adjectives expressing capability, susceptibility, liability, aptitude, etc..

   agile; docile; ductile; fragile; prehensile; volatile.

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-ile British  

suffix

1. indicating capability, liability, or a relationship with something

   agile

   fragile

   juvenile

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Usage

What does ile- mean? Ile- is a combining form used like a prefix representing the word ileum, the third and lowest division of the small intestine. It is often used in medical terms, especially in anatomy and pathology.Ile- ultimately comes from the Latin īlia, meaning “side of the body between hips and groin, guts.”Ile- is a variant of ileo-, which loses its -o- when combined with words or word elements beginning with vowels.Want to know more? Read our Words That Use ileo- article.

Etymology

Origin of -ile

From the Latin word -ilis, -īlis

Example Sentences

Manguillier got into the tourism business in 1978, at first ferrying souvenir dealers to Île aux Cerfs, a small island near his home in Trou d’Eau Douce.

From The Wall Street Journal

It was well after dark when Manguillier found Anthony Empson’s wedding ring off Île aux Cerfs.

From The Wall Street Journal

Speaking to naval officers in front of a nuclear submarine at the Ile Longue base near the port of Brest, he said the number of French nuclear warheads would be increased from their current level of around 300.

From BBC

“This dispersal across Europe, like an archipelago of power, will complicate our adversaries’ calculus,” Macron said while standing in front of a French nuclear-powered ballistic-missile submarine at France’s Île Longue base off the Brittany coast.

From The Wall Street Journal

The speech by Macron, at France's Ile Longue nuclear submarine base, will be closely watched across Europe, which for decades has relied on the United States' nuclear deterrent but is now increasingly debating whether to bolster its own arsenals.

From Barron's