a
suffix forming
adjectives and
nouns from
verbs, occurring originally in French and Latin loanwords
( pleasant; constant; servant ) and productive in English on this
model;
-ant, has the general sense “characterized by or serving in the capacity of” that named by the stem
( ascendant; pretendant ), especially in the formation of nouns denoting human agents in legal actions or other formal procedures
( tenant; defendant; applicant; contestant ). In technical and commercial coinages,
-ant, is a suffix of nouns denoting impersonal physical agents
( propellant; lubricant; deodorant ). In general,
-ant, can be added only to bases of Latin origin, with a very few exceptions, as
coolant.
Origin: <
Latin -ant-, present participle stem of verbs in
-āre; in many words <
French -ant <
Latin -ant- or
-ent- (see
-ent); akin to
Middle English, Old English -and-, -end-, present participle suffix
00:10
-ant
is always a great word to know.
So is callithumpian. Does it mean:
So is doohickey. Does it mean:
So is flibbertigibbet. Does it mean:
