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Definition of Per- - 4 dictionary results

per-

1. a prefix meaning “through,” “thoroughly,” “utterly,” “very”: pervert; pervade; perfect.
2. Chemistry. a prefix used in the names of inorganic acids and their salts that possess the maximum amount of the element specified in the base word: percarbonic (H2C2O5), permanganic (HMnO4), persulfuric (H2S2O8), acids; potassium permanganate (KMnO4); potassium persulfate (K2S2O8).

Origin:
< L, comb. form of per per, and used as an intensive
per-  
pref.  
  1. Thoroughly; completely; intensely: perfervid.
  2. Containing an element in its highest oxidation state: perchloric acid.
  3. Containing a large or the largest possible proportion of an element: peroxide.
  4. Containing the peroxy group: peracid.
  5. Slang Very: percool, as in "That shirt is percool, man!"

[Latin, from per, through; see per1 in Indo-European roots.]

Per-

Per-\ [See Per.]

1. A prefix used to signify through, throughout, by, for, or as an intensive as perhaps, by hap or chance; perennial, that lasts throughout the year; perforce, through or by force; perfoliate, perforate; perspicuous, evident throughout or very evident; perplex, literally, to entangle very much.

2. (Chem.) Originally, denoting that the element to the name of which it is prefixed in the respective compounds exercised its highest valence; now, only that the element has a higher valence than in other similar compounds; thus, barium peroxide is the highest oxide of barium; while nitrogen and manganese peroxides, so-called, are not the highest oxides of those elements.
Language Translation for : Per-
Spanish: por,
German: pro,
Japanese: ~につき

per- pref.

  1. Thoroughly; completely; intensely: perfuse.
  2. Containing an element in its highest oxidation state: perchloric acid.
  3. Containing a large or the largest possible proportion of an element: peroxide.
  4. Containing the peroxy group: peracid.

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