rhizoverbBeta
DictionaryRoot: -io
Latin

-io

an action, process, or result

Forms

  • -io
  • -ion- — The longer form used before Latin endings.
  • -ion — The form carried into many English nouns.

Origin

An old Latin noun ending, inherited from earlier Indo-European word formation.

Note

The ending can name both an activity and what that activity produces.

42 / 371
noun

cohesion

koh-HEE-zhun/kəʊˈhiːʒn/

The quality of parts holding together as a whole.

The water's cohesion holds it together as droplets merge on the leaf.

A cluster of water droplets coalesces into one larger rounded drop on a leaf, sticking-together cohesion visible, no labels.
Etymology
coLatinwith, together; sometimes thoroughly
+hesLatinstick or cling
+ionLatinan action, process, or result

The pieces express the act or state of sticking together. That physical image also describes unity: separate members hold together as one whole.

In context

Reynard Lowell11:55
… the glue that ties everything together. Cohesion you can actually feel. One of the easiest ways to make a room feel well-designed is through quiet repetition.
The 3 Layers That Make Any Living Room Look HIGH-END

More examples

  • The dough lacks cohesion and crumbles when I roll it.
  • A recurring theme gives the essay cohesion.
  • Regular neighborhood gatherings help build social cohesion.

Forms

cohere verb — To hold together as a whole.

cohesive adjective — Holding together as a unified whole.

Similar words

unity
Emphasizes being one whole rather than holding together.
coherence
Emphasizes logical connections, especially among ideas or statements.