prefix

Alternative forms

• præfix (obsolete)
• prefixe (for the verb; obsolete)

Etymology

From Middle French prefixer (verb) resp. Late Latin praefixum (noun), both from Latin praefixus, past participle of praefīgō (“I (fix, fasten, set up) in front”, “I fix on the (end, extremity)”) (from prae- (“before”) + fīgō (“I fix”, “I fasten”, “I affix”)).

Pronunciation

• (noun) IPA^(key): /ˈpɹiːfɪks/
• (verb) IPA^(key): /ˈpɹiːfɪks/, /pɹiːˈfɪks/, /pɹɛˈfɪks/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

Noun

prefix (plural prefixes)

1. Something placed before another
   1. (grammar, linguistic morphology) a morpheme added to the beginning of a word to modify its meaning, for example as, pre- in prefix, con- in conjure, re- in reheat etc.
   2. (telecommunications) A set of digits placed before a telephone number, to indicate where the number is based, what type of phone number it is (landline, mobile, toll-free, premium rate etc.)

      in the UK, a number with an 0800 prefix is a toll-free number.

      Add the prefix +34 to dial a Spanish number from abroad

   3. A title added to a person's number, such as Mr. or Dr.

Verb

prefix (third-person singular simple present prefixes, present participle prefixing, simple past and past participle prefixed)

1. (transitive) To determine beforehand; to set in advance. [from 15^thc.]
   • 1485, Sir Thomas Malory, chapter j, in Le Morte Darthur, book XXI:

     he took the Quene Gueneuer and sayd playnly that he wolde wedde hyr / whyche was his vnkyls wyf and his faders wyf / And soo he made redy for the feest / And a day prefyxt that they shold be wedded / wherfore quene Gweneuer was passyng huey / But she durst not dyscouer hyr herte

   • 1603, John Florio, transl.; Michel de Montaigne, The Essayes, […], printed at London: […] Edward Blount […], OCLC 946730821:
     , I.40:

     But the danger was, that a man can hardly prefix any certaine limits unto his desire […].

2. (transitive) To put or fix before, or at the beginning of something; to place at the start. [from 16^thc.]

See also

• Category:English prefixes
• prefix on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

References

Further reading

• prefix in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913
• prefix in The Century Dictionary, The Century Co., New York, 1911

Anagrams

• perfix

Etymology

Latin praefixum

Noun

prefix m (plural prefixos)

1. prefix

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈprɛfɪks]
• Rhymes: -ɪks
• Hyphenation: pre‧fix

Noun

prefix m inan

1. prefix

Further reading

• prefix in Kartotéka Novočeského lexikálního archivu
• prefix in Slovník spisovného jazyka českého, 1960–1971, 1989

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈpreːfɪks/

• Audio

  (file)

Etymology 1

From post-Classical Latin praefixum, nominal use of the neuter form of Classical Latin praefixus, past participle of praefīgō (“I (fix, fasten, set up) in front”, “I fix on the (end, extremity)”) — the noun directly thence, whereas the adjective via French préfixe.

Etymology 2

Noun

prefix m

1. (grammar) prefix

Etymology

From French préfixe.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /pɾeˈfiks/

Noun

prefix n (plural prefixe)

1. prefix