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To put or fix before, or at the beginning of, another thing; as, to prefix a syllable to a word, or a condition to an agreement.

The act of prefixing. [R.] Bailey.

A, as a prefix to English words, is derived from various sources. (1) It frequently signifies on or in (from an, a forms of AS. on), denoting a state, as in afoot, on foot, abed, amiss, asleep, aground, aloft, away (AS. onweg), and analogically, ablaze, atremble, etc. (2) AS. of off, from, as in adown (AS. ofdüne off t…

A prefix in many words of Latin origin. It signifies from, away , separating, or departure, as in abduct, abstract, abscond. See A- (6).

A short grace note, one semitone below the note to which it is prefixed; -- used especially in organ music. Now used as equivalent to the short appoggiatura.

As a prefix ad- assumes the forms ac-, af-, ag-, al-, an-, ap-, ar-, as-, at-, assimilating the d with the first letter of the word to which ad- is prefixed. It remains unchanged before vowels, and before d, h, j, m, v. Examples: adduce, adhere, adjacent, admit, advent, accord, affect, aggregate, allude, annex, appear,…

xpressions), and the to properly belongs to the following word, being a kind of intensive prefix (orig. meaning asunder and answering to the LG. ter-, HG. zer- ). It is frequently to be met with in old books, used without the all. Thus Wyclif says, "The vail of the temple was to rent:" and of Judas, "He was hanged and…

A prefix meaning about, around; -- used in words derived from the Latin.

A prefix in words of Greek origin, signifying both, of both kinds, on both sides, about, around.

A prefix in words from the Greek, denoting up, upward, throughout, backward, back, again, anew.

A prefix of one or two unaccented syllables to a verse properly beginning with an accented syllable.

A prefix, or combining form, in numerous compounds, usually relating to seed or blood vessels, or to something contained in, or covered by, a vessel.

See Anti-, prefix.

A Latin preposition and prefix; akin to Gr. anti, Goth. and-, anda- (only in comp.), AS. and-, ond-, (only in comp.: cf. Answer, Along), G. ant-, ent- (in comp.). The Latin ante is generally used in the sense of before, in regard to position, order, or time, and the Gr. opposite, or in the place of.…

A prefix meaning against, opposite or opposed to, contrary, or in place of; -- used in composition in many English words. It is often shortened to ant-; as, antacid, antarctic.

A prefix from a Greek preposition. It usually signifies from, away from, off, or asunder, separate; as, in apocope (a cutting off), apostate, apostle (one sent away), apocarpous.

A prefix signifying chief, as in archbuilder, archfiend.

A prefix signifying chief, arch; as, architect, archiepiscopal. In Biol. and Anat. it usually means primitive, original, ancestral; as, archipterygium, the primitive fin or wing.

A vowel prefixed, or a lengthening of the initial vowel, to mark past time, as in Greek and Sanskrit verbs.

n atom of nitrogen and at least one other noncarbon atom (nitrogen, oxygen, sulphur). The prefixes furo-, thio, and pyrro-are used to distinguish three subclasses of azoles, which may be regarded as derived respectively from furfuran, thiophene, and pyrrol by replacement of the CH group by nitrogen; as, furo-monazole.…