meg-

variant of megalo- (megalith ); also the initial element in units of measure that are equal to one million of the units denoted by the base word (megahertz ). Symbol: M

Also, especially before a vowel, meg-.

Origin:
combining form representing Greek mégas large, great

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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Collins

World English Dictionary

mega-

—*combining form*
1.	M denoting 10⁶: megawatt
2.	(in computer technology) denoting 2²⁰ (1 048 576): megabyte
3.	large or great: megalith
4.	informal great in importance or amount: megastar

[from Greek megas huge, powerful]

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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00:10

Meg- is always a great word to know.

So is lollapalooza. Does it mean:

an extraordinary or unusual thing, person, or event; an exceptional example or instance.

a scrap or morsel of food left at a meal.

LEARN MORE UNUSUAL WORDS WITH WORD DYNAMO...

Etymonline

Word Origin & History

mega-

prefix, often meaning "large, great," but in precise scientific language "one million" (megaton, megawatt, etc.), from Gk. megas "great, large, mighty" (fem. megale), from PIE *meg- "great" (cf. L. magnus, Goth. mikils, O.E. micel; see mickle). Mega began to be used alone as an adj. 1982.

"High-speed computer stores 2.5 megabits" [headline in "Electronics" magazine, Oct. 1, 1957]

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage

Medical Dictionary

mega- pref.

Large: megacephaly.
One million (10⁶): megahertz.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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American Heritage

Science Dictionary

mega-

A prefix that means:
Large, as in megadose, a large dose.
One million, as in megahertz, one million hertz.
2²⁰ (that is, 1,048,576), which is the power of 2 closest to a million, as in megabyte.

Slang Dictionary

mega-

/me'g*/ pref. [SI] See quantifiers.

Jargon
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Matching Quote

"Old Meg she was a Gipsy
And liv'd upon the Moors:"

-John Keats

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mega- megadontia megaelectron volt megagamete megakaryoblast megalecithal

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