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• phage
  phage

  noun

  bacteriophage.
• -phage
  -phage

  a combining form meaning “a thing that devours,” used in the formation of compound words, especially the names of phagocytes.

phage

¹ American  

[feyj] / feɪdʒ /

noun

1. bacteriophage.

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-phage ² American  

Also -phag.

1. a combining form meaning “a thing that devours,” used in the formation of compound words, especially the names of phagocytes.

   macrophage.

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-phage ¹ British  

combining form

1. indicating something that eats or consumes something specified

   bacteriophage

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phage ² British  

/ feɪdʒ /

noun

1. short for bacteriophage

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Usage

What does -phage mean? The combining form -phage is used like a suffix meaning “a thing that devours.” It is used in many scientific terms, especially in biology. The form -phage ultimately comes from the Greek phageîn, meaning “to eat, devour.” This Greek root also helps form the word esophagus. Discover the connection at our entry for the word. The word phage, referring to a bacteriophage, is a shortened or independent use of the combining form -phageClosely related to -phage are -phagia, -phagy, and -phagous. Their corresponding form combined to the beginning of words is phago-. Learn more about their specific applications at our Words That Use articles for the forms.

Other Word Forms

• -phagous
  combining form

Etymology

Origin of phage¹

By shortening, or independent use of -phage

Origin of -phage²

Noun use of Greek -phagos -phagous

Example Sentences

Phage are already being engineered to fight antibiotic resistance by slipping past bacterial defenses and delivering disruptive genetic material into cells.

From Science Daily • Feb. 18, 2026

Phage science may sound new and exciting, but it is actually a century old idea stemming from the discoveries of Felix d'Hérelle and Frederick Twort in the 1910s.

From BBC • Jun. 27, 2025

Phage therapy could someday be used to treat diseases caused by multidrug-resistant bacteria, for instance.

From Nature • Feb. 19, 2019

He told me that he and Guvench met through “the community of techno-hippies loosely revolving around” the Phage, a “sciencey” camp at Burning Man.

From The New Yorker • Nov. 17, 2014

Phage therapy holds potential as an important new weapon in the fight against superbugs.

From Scientific American • Aug. 31, 2012