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.

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paleo- British  

combining form

1. variants (esp US) of palaeo-

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paleo– Scientific  

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

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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

“Democracy in the shape of the Roosevelt coalition was a problem, perhaps the domestic problem for the Hooverites, neo- and paleo- alike,” he writes.

From New York Times • Feb. 14, 2023

Dry Farm Wines, the biggest distributor of natural wine in the U.S., markets the bottles it sells through mail-order subscriptions as sugar-free, mycotoxin-free, lab-tested, and paleo-, keto-, and low-carb-friendly.

From The New Yorker • Nov. 18, 2019

In other words, just one group of paleo- Indians colonized the Americas, but it did so two or three times.

From "1491" by Charles C. Mann