noun / verb
prefix
PREE-fiks/ˈpriːfɪks/
An element added at the beginning of a word or sequence, or the act of adding it.
The prefix un- is placed before happy to form unhappy.
Etymology
The pieces convey “fasten in front.” In grammar, this became the name for a letter group attached to the front of a word to modify its meaning.
In context
here we have ester and then thioester so if you see an oxygen being replaced with a sulfur atom add the prefix thio to it
More examples
- She prefixes each file name with the project code.
- Add the international prefix before dialing the number.
- Several prefixes can attach to the same word.
Forms
prefix · prefixes · prefixed · prefixing