phyllo

¹

or fi·lo

[ fee-loh ]

noun

, Greek and Middle Eastern Cooking.

1. flaky, tissue-thin layers of pastry used in baked desserts and appetizers.

phyllo-

²

1. a combining form meaning “leaf,” used in the formation of compound words:

   phyllopod.

phyllo-

¹

combining_form

1. leaf

   phyllopod

phyllo

²

/ ˈfɪləʊ /

noun

1. See filo
   a variant of filo

Word History and Origins

Origin of phyllo¹

1945–50; < Modern Greek phýllo ( n ) literally, leaf; phyllo-

Origin of phyllo²

< Greek, combining form of phýllon

Word History and Origins

Origin of phyllo¹

from Greek phullon leaf

Origin of phyllo²

C20: from Greek: leaf

Example Sentences

Place the stack of phyllo dough sheets on a cutting board and cover it with a slightly damp towel.

From The Daily Beast

Cut the phyllo in half crosswise to make two (7 × 8½-inch) rectangles.

From The Daily Beast

Place one sheet of phyllo on the board, brush it with butter, and sprinkle it with ¾ teaspoon of bread crumbs.

From The Daily Beast

The phyllo cooks until golden, crisp, and flaky, and the cheesy spinach filling is addictive, to say the least.

From The Daily Beast

Related Words

• bread
• cake
• croissant
• doughnut
• phyllo
• pie

Words That Use phyllo-

What does phyllo- mean?

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

Phyllo– 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 phyllo-?

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

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 phyll-, –phyll, and –phyl.

Examples of phyllo-

An example of a word that features the form phyllo– is phyllophagous, “feeding on leaves.”

The form phyllo– means “leaf,” and the –phagous part of the word means “eating” or “feeding on,” from Greek –phagos. Phyllophagous literally translates to “eating leaves.”

What are some words that use the combining form phyllo-?

• phylloclade (using the equivalent form of phyllo– in Latin)
• phyllogenetic
• phyllomania
• phyllophore
• phyllopod (using the equivalent form of phyllo– in Latin)
• phyllosphere

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

• philo-
• phyl-
• phylo-

Break it down!

The combining form –phore means “thing or part bearing” or “bearer of.” With this in mind, what part of a palm is a phyllophore?