ultra

¹ American  

[uhl-truh] / ˈʌl trə /

adjective

1. going beyond what is usual or ordinary; excessive; extreme.

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noun

1. an extremist, as in politics, religion, fashion, etc.

2. Military. Ultra, the British code name for intelligence gathered by decrypting German wireless communications enciphered on the Enigma machine during World War II.

ultra- ² American  

1. a prefix occurring originally in loanwords from Latin, with the basic meaning “on the far side of, beyond.” In relation to the base to which it is prefixed, ultra- has the senses “located beyond, on the far side of ” (ultramontane; ultraviolet ), “carrying to the furthest degree possible, on the fringe of ” (ultraleft; ultramodern ), “extremely” (ultralight ); nouns to which it is added denote, in general, objects, properties, phenomena, etc., that surpass customary norms, or instruments designed to produce or deal with such things (ultramicroscope; ultrasound; ultrastructure ).

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ultra ¹ British  

/ ˈʌltrə /

adjective

1. extreme or immoderate, esp in beliefs or opinions

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noun

1. an extremist

ultra- ² British  

prefix

1. beyond or surpassing a specified extent, range, or limit

   ultramicroscopic

2. extreme or extremely

   ultramodern

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Etymology

Origin of ultra¹

Independent use of ultra-, or shortening of words prefixed with it

Origin of ultra-²

From Latin ultrā (adverb and preposition) “on the far side,” derivative of ulter (unrecorded) “located beyond”

Example Sentences

Relief because the final weeks were desperately poor, but regret too because De Zerbi - a former ultra with immense passion - looked at times a perfect fit for the Mediterranean club.

From BBC

Tremendously resilient in Copenhagen in getting a goalless draw in round one, ultra professional in beating Belarus in round two.

From BBC

Greece is the answer, but specifically Athens and Panathinaikos, where ultra fans lit smoky red flares and the atmosphere made Rupp Arena feel like a squash club.

From The Wall Street Journal

During the 1980s, researchers studying ultra thin conductors at extremely low temperatures made a surprising discovery.

From Science Daily

The team focused on ultra thin films made from two elements, tellurium and selenium.

From Science Daily