quinque-

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

   quinquevalent.

quinque-

combining_form

1. five

   quinquevalent

Word History and Origins

Origin of quinque-¹

< Latin, combining form of quīnque; five

Word History and Origins

Origin of quinque-¹

from Latin quinque

Example Sentences

Pedes subbreves; acrotarsiis scutellatis, scutis quinque; paratarsiis integris.

From Project Gutenberg

Item reliquit societati Sanct Mari de Certaldo libras quinque florenorum parvorum.

From Project Gutenberg

Lateribus superioribus quinque-lateralibus, costis duabus modicis ab apice ad marginem basalem continuatis.

From Project Gutenberg

Here is one dated in 931 by which thelstan gives quinque mansas at Somerford and quinque mansas at Norton.

From Project Gutenberg

Pro altera sequitur comitatum et hundredum; pro altera solvit quinque solidos.

From Project Gutenberg

Words That Use Quinque-

What does quinque- mean?

Quinque- is a combining form used like a prefix meaning “five.” It is used in a number of scientific and other technical terms.

Quinque- comes from the Latin quīnque, meaning “five.” The Greek word for “five” is pénte, source of the combining form penta-. Learn more about its specific application in our Words That Use article for the form.

Examples of quinque-

One example of a word that features the combining form quinque- is quinquefid, meaning “cleft (divided) into five parts or lobes.” The leaves of plants have been described as quinquefid.

The first part of the word, quinque- means “five,” as we have seen. So, what about the -fid portion of the word? It means “divided” or “lobed,” ultimately from the Latin findere (“to split). Quinquefid literally translates to “divided into five.”

And quinquennial? That means “lasting or occurring five years” or “a fifth anniversary.” It is based on the Latin quīnquennis, which uses the equivalent form of quinque- in the language and literally means “of five years.”

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

• quinquecentenary
• quinquefoil
• quinquefoliate
• quinquepartite
• quinquereme (using the equivalent form of quinque- in Latin)
• quinquevalent

What are some other forms that quinque- may be commonly confused with?

• quin-
• quino-

Quinine, a medicine historically used to treat malaria, does not use the combining form quinque- to mean “five.” The language of origin for this word may surprise you. Discover its roots at our entry for the word.

Break it down!

The word partite means “divided into parts.” With this in mind, how many parts is something quinquepartite divided into or consisting of?