rhizoverbBeta
DictionaryRoot: in-
Latin

in-

in, into, on, upon

Forms

  • in-
  • im- — Used before b, m, or p in Latin.
  • il- — Used before l in Latin.
  • ir- — Used before r in Latin.
  • en- — Developed in French in some words later borrowed into English.

Origin

Reconstructed Proto-Indo-European *en, ‘in.’

Note

Identical spellings can hide two different prefixes: this one indicates position or direction, while the other means ‘not.’

302 / 306
Patient lies beneath a linear accelerator treatment head.
noun

irradiation

ih-ray-dee-AY-shuhn/ɪˌreɪdiˈeɪʃn/

The spreading of radiant energy onto or through something.

Etymology
irLatinin, into, on, upon
+radiaLatinsend out rays or shine
+tionLatinan action, process, or result

Irradiation names the process of beaming upon something, originally with light. Its extension to X-rays and other radiation supplies the sense of exposure used in medical treatment and food sterilization.

Full entry

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