quinque-

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.

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.

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