Dictionary Thesaurus Word Dynamo Quotes Reference Translator Spanish

peri-

Origin

a prefix meaning “about” or “around” (perimeter, periscope), “enclosing” or “surrounding” (pericardium), and “near” (perigee, perihelion), appearing in loanwords from Greek (peripeteia); on this model, used in the formation of compound words (perimorph).

Origin:
< Greek, prefixal use of perí (adv. and preposition)

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
Cite This Source

Link To peri-

00:10

00:09

00:08

00:07

00:06

00:05

00:04

00:03

00:02

00:01

Peri- is always a great word to know.

So is ninnyhammer. Does it mean:

a fool or simpleton; ninny.

a printed punctuation mark (‽), available only in some typefaces, designed to combine the question mark (?) and the exclamation point (!), indicating a mixture of query and interjection, as after a rhetorical question.

LEARN MORE UNUSUAL WORDS WITH WORD DYNAMO...

Collins

World English Dictionary

peri-

—*prefix*
1.	enclosing, encircling, or around: pericardium; pericarp; perigon
2.	near or adjacent: perihelion

[from Greek peri around, near, about]

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

Etymonline

Word Origin & History

peri-

prefix meaning "around, about, enclosing," from Gk. peri (prep.) "around, about, beyond," cognate with Skt. pari "around, about, through," L. per (see per).

American Heritage

Medical Dictionary

peri- pref.

Around; about; enclosing: perimysium.
Near: perinatal.

American Heritage

Science Dictionary

peri-
A prefix that means: "around" (as in pericardium,) or "near" (as in perihelion).

Partners:Word Bloglines Citysearch The Daily Beast Ask Answers Ask Kids Life123 Sendori Thesaurus

About Privacy Policy Terms of Use API Careers Advertise with Us Contact Us Help