-philous

American  

1. a combining form meaning “liking,” “having an affinity for” that specified by the initial element.

   dendrophilous.

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-philous British  

combining form

1. indicating love of or fondness for

   heliophilous

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Usage

What does -philous mean? The combining form -philous is used like a suffix meaning "liking" or "having an affinity for." It is occasionally used in scientific terms, especially in biology.The form -philous comes from Greek -philos, which means "loving" or "dear."While -philous doesn’t have any variants, it is related to six other combining forms: -phile, -philia, -philiac, -philic, -philism, and -phily. Want to know more? Check out our Words that Use articles for each form.

Etymology

Origin of -philous

< Latin -philus < Greek -philos. See -phile, -ous