terat-

American  

1. variant of terato- before a vowel.

   teratoid.

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terat- British  

combining form

1. indicating a monster or something abnormal

   teratism

   teratoid

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Usage

What does terat- mean? Terat- is a combining form used like a prefix meaning “monster.” It is used in some scientific and medical terms, including in pathology, or to indicate something especially unusual or abnormal in size, composition, or appearance. Terat- comes from the Greek téras, meaning “monster, marvel.” The combining form tera-, as in terabyte, shares the same Greek root, though tera- is used to mean “trillion.” Learn more in our Words That Use article for the form tera-. What are variants of terat-?Terat- is a variant of terato-, which loses its -o- when combined with words or word elements beginning with vowels. Want to know more? Read our Words That Use terato- article.

Etymology

Origin of terat-

from Greek terat-, teras monster, prodigy