mono

¹

[mon-oh]

noun

Informal.

1. infectious mononucleosis.

mono

²

[mon-oh]

adjective

1. monophonic.

mono-

³

especially before a vowel, mon-

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

/ ˈmɒnəʊ /

adjective

1. short for monophonic

noun

1. monophonic sound; monophony

mono-

²

combining form

1. one; single

   monochrome

   monorail

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

   monoxide

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 mono–¹

By shortening

Origin of mono–²

By shortening

Origin of mono–³

From Greek, combining form of mónos “alone”

Word History and Origins

Origin of mono–¹

from Greek monos

Example Sentences

In fact, these oils contain a low amount - 5-10% - of unhealthy saturated fats and are high in healthier mono- and polyunsaturated fats.

From BBC

In 1948, Bing Crosby gave Paul his first mono Ampex recorder, to which Paul added a second playback head, which enabled him to record multiple tracks on the same reel of tape.

From Los Angeles Times

Get ready to be surprised by a Puerto Rican asalto navideño or enjoy a glass of cola de mono with your Chilean friends.

From Los Angeles Times

It so happened the Cal baseball writer had just come down with mono.

From Seattle Times

I culled symptoms of mono, plantar warts, shingles, borderline personality disorder and a bladder infection, as well as listing a bunch of side effects from some TV ads for drugs.

From Literature

When To Use

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.