mono

¹

[ mon-oh ]

noun

, Informal.

1. infectious mononucleosis.

mono

²

[ mon-oh ]

adjective

1. monophonic ( def 2 ).

mono-

³

1. a combining form meaning “alone,” “single,” “one” ( monogamy ); specialized in some scientific terms to denote a monomolecular thickness ( monolayer ) and adapted in chemistry to apply to compounds containing one atom of a particular element ( monohydrate ).

mono-

¹

combining_form

1. one; single

   monorail

   monochrome

2. indicating that a chemical compound contains a single specified atom or group

   monoxide

mono

²

/ ˈmɒnəʊ /

adjective

1. See monophonic
   short for monophonic

noun

1. monophonic sound; monophony

mono–

1. A prefix that means “one, only, single,” as in monochromatic, having only one color. It is often found in chemical names where it means “containing just one” of the specified atom or group, as in carbon monoxide, which is carbon attached to a single oxygen atom.

Word History and Origins

Origin of mono¹

By shortening

Origin of mono²

By shortening

Origin of mono³

From Greek, combining form of mónos “alone”

Word History and Origins

Origin of mono¹

from Greek monos

Example Sentences

The official diagnosis: a mono-like virus that makes you really, really tired.

From The Daily Beast

The exclusive packages, which include glass, a frame and shade, a mono earbud, and a case, will launch June 23.

From The Daily Beast

Most recently—and most notably—there is Miles Davis: The Original Mono Recordings.

From The Daily Beast

In mono form, the tone is unified, and the sound is more enclosed and less precision tooled.

From The Daily Beast

A mono-cell, the amoeba, was able to reproduce itself by the simple stratagem of sub-division.

From Project Gutenberg

The night was broken with drunken yells, the random discharge of fire-arms, and the mono-tone of heavy feet.

From Project Gutenberg

As the distance decreases, the echo repeats fewer syllables till it becomes mono-syllabic.

From Project Gutenberg

Some models are equipped with a di-pole or mono-pole antenna mounted at the cabinet back.

From Project Gutenberg

Since the name "mono" indicates one it is best to think of it as one plane although it may be in two parts.

From Project Gutenberg

Words That Use Mono-

What does mono- mean?

Mono- is a combining form used like a prefix meaning “alone, singular, one.” It is used in a great many technical and scientific terms, including in chemistry, where it refers to compounds containing one atom of a particular element.

Mono- comes from the Greek mónos, meaning “alone.”

What are variants of mono-?

When combined with words or word elements that begin with a vowel, mono- becomes mon-, as in monacid.

Examples of mono-

An example of a word you may have encountered that features mono- is monolith, “an obelisk, column, large statue, etc., formed of a single block of stone.” The word comes from the Greek monólithos, which uses the equivalent of the form mono-.

We know mono- means “one,” so what about the -lith portion of the word? That’s right, -lith refers to “stone,” from the Greek líthos. Monolith literally translates to “single stone.”

What are some words that use the combining form mono-?

• monoacid
• monobath
• monoblast
• monocyte
• monocracy
• monodrama
• monodactyly
• monofilament
• monolatry
• mononym
• mononucleosis
• monoplane
• monorail
• monograph
• monohybrid
• monostome
• monotheism

The following words use the equivalent forms of mono- in Latin or Greek:

• monocotyledon
• monochord
• monogamy
• monogram
• monology
• monologue
• monomania
• monometer
• monotone
• monotony

What are some other forms that mono- may be commonly confused with?

• meno-
• mero-
• nano-
• nomo-

Not every word that begins with the exact letters mono- or mon- is necessarily using the combining form mono- to denote “one,” e.g., monitor and monumental. Learn more about the Latin root of these words at our entries for them.

Break it down!

The combining form -cracy means “rule by” or “government.” How many people or parties run a monocracy, also known as an autocracy?