morpheme

[ mawr-feem ]
/ ˈmɔr fim /

noun Linguistics.

any of the minimal grammatical units of a language, each constituting a word or meaningful part of a word, that cannot be divided into smaller independent grammatical parts, as the, write, or the -ed of waited.Compare allomorph(def 2), morph(def 1).

QUIZZES

PRACTICE SOME ESCAPISM WITH THIS WORD OF THE DAY QUIZ!

We salute you if you remember all the doovers from Word of the Day between May 25 and May 31!
Question 1 of 7
salute
to call out to in order to stop, attract attention, ask aid, etc.
to wield power; exercise rule.
to express respect or praise for; honor; commend.
TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of morpheme

1895–1900; < French morphème; see morph-, -eme

OTHER WORDS FROM morpheme

mor·phe·mic, adjectivemor·phe·mi·cal·ly, adverb

Words nearby morpheme

morph-, morph., morphactin, morphallaxis, morphea, morpheme, morpheme structure condition, morphemics, morpheus, morphia, morphic resonance
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to morphemes

sound, term, concept, name, phrase, expression, designation, locution, idiom, usage, utterance, vocable, lexeme, fundamentals, morphemes, elements, syllabary, symbols, ideograph, rune

British Dictionary definitions for morphemes

morpheme
/ (ˈmɔːfiːm) /

noun

linguistics a speech element having a meaning or grammatical function that cannot be subdivided into further such elements

Derived forms of morpheme

morphemic, adjectivemorphemically, adverb

Word Origin for morpheme

C20: from French, from Greek morphē form, coined on the model of phoneme; see -eme
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012