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phyll-

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variant of phyllo- before a vowel: phyllite.
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Other definitions for phyll- (2 of 2)

-phyll

variant of -phyllo as final element of compound words: sporophyll.
Also -phyl.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

WORDS THAT USE PHYLL-

What does phyll- mean?

Phyll– is a combining form used like a prefix meaning “leaf.” It is occasionally used in scientific terms, especially in biology.

Phyll– comes from Greek phýllon, meaning “leaf.” The Latin cognate of phýllon is folium, also meaning “leaf,” which is the source of words such as foil, foliage, and folio. To learn more, check out our entries for these three terms.

What are variants of phyll-?

When combined with words or word elements that begin with a consonant, phyll– becomes phyllo, as in phyllophore.

When combined as a suffix at the end of the word, this combining form becomes phyll or phyl, as in chlorophyll. Want to know more? Read our Words That Use articles on phyllo-, –phyll, and –phyl.

Examples of phyll-

A scientific term that uses the form phyll– is phyllite, “a slaty rock, the cleavage planes of which have a luster imparted by minute scales of mica.”

Phyll– means “leaf,” and the ite suffix has a variety of meanings, including in the naming of minerals. Phyllite literally means “leaf mineral.”

What are some words that use the equivalent of the combining form phyll– in Greek?

What are some other forms that phyll– may be commonly confused with?

Break it down!

The suffix oid means “resembling” or “like.” With this in mind, what does phylloid mean?

How to use phyll- in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for phyll-

-phyll

-phyl


n combining form
leafchlorophyll

Word Origin for -phyll

from Greek phullon
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
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