-ium

American  

1. a suffix found on nouns borrowed from Latin, especially derivatives of verbs (odium; tedium; colloquium; delirium ), deverbal compounds with the initial element denoting the object of the verb (nasturtium ), other types of compounds (equilibrium; millennium ), and derivatives of personal nouns, often denoting the associated status or office (collegium; consortium; magisterium ); -ium also occurs in scientific coinages on a Latin model, as in names of metallic elements (barium; titanium ) and as a Latinization of Gk -ion (pericardium ).

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-ium British  

suffix

1. indicating a metallic element

   platinum

   barium

2. (in chemistry) indicating groups forming positive ions

   ammonium chloride

   hydroxonium ion

3. indicating a biological structure

   syncytium

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Etymology

Origin of -ium

< New Latin, Latin, neuter suffix

Example Sentences

Exuvia -iae -ium: the cast skin of a larval insect: in Diaspinae the larval skin when cast and incorporated in the scale.

From Explanation of Terms Used in Entomology by Smith, John. B.

Peristoma -ium: the border of the mouth or oral margin in Diptera; sometimes used as := epistoma: q.v.

From Explanation of Terms Used in Entomology by Smith, John. B.

In poetry, adjectives and participles in -ns sometimes form the Gen. Plu. in -um instead of -ium; as, venientum, of those coming.

From New Latin Grammar by Bennett, Charles E. (Charles Edwin)

Calcar -ium; pl. ia: a movable spur or spine-like process: specifically the spines at the apex of a tibia.

From Explanation of Terms Used in Entomology by Smith, John. B.

Many Consonant-Stems have so far adapted themselves to the inflection of ĭ-stems as to take -ium in the Genitive Plural, and -īs in the Accusative Plural.

From New Latin Grammar by Bennett, Charles E. (Charles Edwin)