-phagia

1. variant of -phagy.

Word History and Origins

Origin of -phagia¹

< New Latin < Greek

When To Use

What does -phagia mean?

The combining form -phagia is used like a suffix meaning “eating” or “devouring” the thing specified by the first part of the word. It is used in some scientific and other technical terms, especially in biology.The form -phagia 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 -phage.The form -phagia is a variant of -phagy, as in cytophagy.Want to know more? Read our Words That Use -phagy article.Closely related to -phagy are -phage and -phagous. A corresponding form of -phagy combined to the beginning of words is phago-. Learn more about their specific applications at our Words That Use articles for the forms.