phyll-

¹ American  

1. variant of phyllo- before a vowel.

   phyllite.

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-phyll ² American  

1. variant of -phyllo as final element of compound words.

   sporophyll.

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-phyll British  

combining form

1. leaf

   chlorophyll

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Usage

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.

What does -phyll mean? The combining form -phyll is used like a suffix meaning “leaf.” It is occasionally used in scientific terms, especially in biology.The form -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?In some rare instances, -phyll is spelled without the terminal -l, becoming -phyl, as in xanthophyl.When combined as the first element of the word, the form -phyll becomes phyllo- or phyll-, as in phyllophore. Want to know more? Read our Words That Use article on -phyl, phyllo-, and phyll-.

Etymology

Origin of -phyll

from Greek phullon