paleo-

American  

especially before a vowel, pale-;

1. a combining form meaning “old” or “ancient,” especially in reference to former geologic time periods, used in the formation of compound words.

   paleobotany.

---

paleo- British  

combining form

1. variants (esp US) of palaeo-

---

paleo– Scientific  

1. A prefix that means “prehistoric” (as in paleontology) or “early or primitive” (as in Paleolithic).

---

Usage

What does paleo- mean? Paleo- is a combining form used like a prefix meaning “old” or "ancient." It is often used in scientific terms, especially in reference to periods of geologic time, like paleolithic, and ancient fossils.Paleo- comes from Greek palaiós, meaning “ancient.” The Latin translation of palaiós was antīquus, the source of words such as antique and antiquated.What are variants of paleo-?When combined with words or word elements that begin with a vowel, paleo- becomes pale-, as in palearctic.Paleo- is the US English spelling of this combining form. In British English, it is spelled palaeo- or palae-, respectively, as in palaeolith. In some instances, the -ae- is spelled with the digraph æ, becoming palæo- or palæ-, as in palæolith.

Etymology

Origin of paleo-

From Greek palaio-, combining form of palaiós

Example Sentences

The argument for the paleo V8 runs thusly: In the past two decades, emission and fuel-economy requirements forced pickup manufacturers to downsize engines and increase complexity, using turbocharging, variable cam phasing, direct fuel injection and other means to squeeze more efficient power out of fewer cc’s.

From The Wall Street Journal

You find yourself suddenly picking up a book called “Nom Nom Paleo” and it’s like well, here’s where we’re at.

From Los Angeles Times

"It's the reason that Brad and I became paleo a few years ago now, although I'm a little bit sick of it, if I'm honest," she added, with reference to her husband Brad Falchuk, co-creator of the Glee TV series.

From BBC

Gwyneth Paltrow said she has returned to eating food she previously restricted, including sourdough bread, pasta and cheese, having been on a strict paleo diet for several years.

From BBC

A paleo diet is based on the idea that if we eat like our ancient ancestors, we'll be healthier and reduce our risk of certain diseases.

From BBC