pedi-

The combining form pedi– is used like a prefix meaning “foot.” It is occasionally used in scientific and technical terms.

The form pedi– comes from Latin pēs, meaning “foot.” The Greek cognate of pēs is poús, “foot,” which is the source of numerous combining forms that relate to the lower extremities, including pod–, podo–, –pod, –poda, –pode, –podium, and –podous. Discover more at our Words That Use articles for each of these seven forms.

What are variants of pedi-?

When combined with words or word elements that begin with a vowel, pedi– becomes ped–, as in pedal, which comes from the equivalent of the form in Latin. Want to know more? Read our Words That Use article for ped-.

An example of a word you may have encountered that features pedi– is pedicab, “a small, three-wheeled public conveyance that a driver operates by pedals; a cycle rickshaw.”

We know pedi– means “foot,” while the –cab portion of the word is short for cabriolet, “a light, two-wheeled carriage.” Pedicab literally translates to “foot carriage.”

What are some words that use the combining form pedi-?

• pedicel (using the equivalent form of pedi- in Latin)
• pedicle (using the equivalent form of pedi- in Latin)
• pedicure (using the equivalent form of pedi- in French)
• pediform
• pediment

What are some other forms that pedi– may be commonly confused with?

• pedo-
• peri-

Not every word that begins with the exact letters pedi– or ped-, such as pediatrics or pedigree, is necessarily using the combining form pedi– to denote “foot.” Learn why pedigree means “lineage” at our entry for the word.

The combining form –form means “having the form of.” With this in mind, what does pediform mean?