infix

[ verb in-fiks, in-fiks; noun in-fiks ]
See synonyms for infix on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. Grammar. a morpheme or an entire word that is inserted within the body of another word or element, as Latin m in accumbō “I lie down,” as compared with accubuī “I lay down.”

verb (used with object),in·fixed, in·fix·ing.
  1. to fix, fasten, or drive in: He infixed the fatal spear.

  2. to instill (a fact, idea, etc.) in the mind or memory; impress: Your childhood trauma infixed these specific fears in your mind.

  1. Grammar. to add as an infix: The English language infixes only a small set of expletives and euphemisms, as in “fan-freakin-tastic” or “abso-bloody-lutely.”

verb (used without object),in·fixed, in·fix·ing.
  1. Grammar. (of a linguistic form) to admit an infix: Polysyllabic words in English infix just before the stressed syllable, as in “abso-frickin-LUTEly.”

adjective
  1. Mathematics, Computers. of or relating to operator notation that occurs between the operands, such as the symbols for addition, subtraction, multiplication, or division when written in a linear equation: We are familiar with infix notation from elementary math class, and it can also be used in logic statements or computer programming languages.

Origin of infix

1
First recorded in 1495–1505; from Latin infīxus, past participle of infīgere “to fasten in”; see in-2, fix

Other words for infix

Other words from infix

  • in·fix·a·tion [in-fiks-ey-shuhn], /ɪnˌfɪksˈeɪ ʃən/, in·fix·ion [in-fik-shuhn], /ɪnˈfɪk ʃən/, noun
  • un·in·fixed, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

British Dictionary definitions for infix

infix

verb(ɪnˈfɪks, ˈɪnˌfɪks)
  1. (tr) to fix firmly in

  2. (tr) to instil or inculcate

  1. grammar to insert (an affix) or (of an affix) to be inserted into the middle of a word

noun(ˈɪnˌfɪks)
  1. grammar an affix inserted into the middle of a word

Derived forms of infix

  • infixation or infixion (ɪnˈfɪkʃən), noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012