definitions

oxy-

1

a combining form meaning “sharp,” “acute,” “keen,” “pointed,” “acid,” used in the formation of compound words: oxycephalic; oxygen; oxymoron.

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Nearby words

oxpecker, oxtail, oxter, oxtongue, oxus, oxy-, oxyacetylene, oxyacetylene torch, oxyacid, oxyaldehyde, oxybarbiturate

Origin of oxy-

1
< Greek, combining form of oxýs sharp, keen, acid

Definition for oxy- (2 of 2)

oxy-

2

a combining form representing oxygen in compound words, sometimes as an equivalent of hydroxy-: oxychloride.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

British Dictionary definitions for oxy- (1 of 2)

oxy-

1

combining form

denoting something sharp; acuteoxytone

Word Origin for oxy-

from Greek, from oxus

British Dictionary definitions for oxy- (2 of 2)

oxy-

2

combining form

containing or using oxygenoxyacetylene
a former equivalent of hydroxy-
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

Medicine definitions for oxy-

oxy-

pref.

Oxygen, especially additional oxygen:oxygenation.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.