pheno-

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a combining form meaning “shining,” “appearing, seeming,” used in the formation of compound words: phenocryst.

a combining form used in the names of chemical compounds that contain phenol or the phenyl group, are related to aromatic compounds, or derive from benzene: phenobarbital.

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Also especially before a vowel, phen- .

Origin of pheno-

<New Latin phaeno- <Greek phaino- shining, combining form of phaínein to shine, appear; in chemical senses, used originally with reference to products from the manufacture of illuminating gas

Words nearby pheno-

phenetole, phenformin, phenix, Phenix City, phenmetrazine, pheno-, phenobarbital, phenocopy, phenocryst, phenogram, phenol

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use pheno- in a sentence

The pseudoscientific synonym pheno-methylene-formate carries the idea that Pyo-Atoxin is a definite chemical substance.
The Propaganda for Reform in Proprietary Medicines, Vol. 1 of 2|Various

British Dictionary definitions for pheno-

pheno-

before a vowel phen-

combining form

showing or manifestingphenotype

indicating that a molecule contains benzene ringsphenobarbital

Word Origin for pheno-

from Greek phaino- shining, from phainein to show; its use in a chemical sense is exemplified in phenol, so called because originally prepared from illuminating gas

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