myco-
Origin of myco-
Words nearby myco-
WORDS THAT USE MYCO-
What does myco- mean?
Myco- is a combining form used like a prefix meaning “mushroom, fungus.” It is used in many medical and scientific terms, especially in biology—as well as in a branch of biology known as mycology, as we’ll discuss below.
Myco- comes from the Greek mýkēs, meaning “mushroom, fungus.”
What are variants of myco-?
When combined with words or word elements that begin with a vowel, myco- becomes myc-, as in mycotic.
The closely related combining forms myceto- and -mycete both also indicate “mushroom, fungus.” The combining form -mycin used in the names of antibiotics, usually those derived from fungi.
Examples of myco-
You may be familiar with the word mycology, meaning “the branch of biology dealing with fungi.” It features the combining form myco-.
The first part of the word, myco-, means “fungus.” (Fungi is a plural form.) The second element, –logy, may look familiar to you. Ultimately from the Greek lógos, meaning “word, saying, discourse,” -logy is commonly used to name fields of study. So, mycology literally translates to “the study of fungus.”
What are some words that use the combining form myco-?
- mycobacteria (using the equivalent form of myco- in New Latin)
- mycocecidium (using the equivalent form of myco- in New Latin)
- mycodermatitis
- mycogenous
- mycoparasite
- mycophage
- mycorrhiza
What are some other forms that myco- may be commonly confused with?
How to use myco- in a sentence
The present may almost be said to be, in the history of medicine, an era of myco-pathology.