pleo-

American  

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

   pleomorphism.

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pleo- British  

combining form

1. a variant of plio-

   pleochroism

   pleomorphism

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Usage

What does pleo- mean? Pleo- is a combining form used like a prefix meaning “more.” It is often used in scientific terms, especially in biology. Pleo- comes from Greek pleíōn, meaning “more.” The Latin cognate of pleíōn is plūs “more,” which is the source of terms such as plural and plus. To learn more, check out our entries for these two words. What are variants of pleo-?In some rare instances, pleo- is spelled with an -i-, becoming pleio-, as in pleiotropism. In even rarer cases, the -e- in pleo- is replaced with an -i-, becoming plio-, as in pliotron. Want to know more? Read our Words That Use articles about pleio- and plio-.

Etymology

Origin of pleo-

Combining form representing Greek pleíōn more (comparative of polýs; poly- ); -o-