sexi-

Sexi- is a combining form used like a prefix meaning “six.” It appears occasionally in technical terms, especially in mathematics.

Sexi- comes from Latin sex, meaning “six.” Yes, “six.” Discover why at our entry for six. Another combining form meaning “six” is hexa-, which comes from Greek héx. Learn more at our Words That Use entry for hexa-.

What are variants of sexi-?

When combined with words or word elements that begin with a vowel, sexi- becomes sex-, as in sexangular.

One example of a technical term that features the combining form sexi- is sexivalent, also known as hexavalent, meaning “having a valence of six.”

The first part of the word, sexi-, means “six.” So, what about the -valent portion of the word? It means “having a valence,” a term from chemistry. Sexivalent literally translates to “having a valence of sex.”

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

• sexifid
• sexiped
• sexipolar
• sexisyllabic
• sexisyllable

What are some other forms that sexi- may be commonly confused with?

• semei-
• semi-
• sept-

In some terms, such as sexism, sex- derives from Latin sexus and is used to mean “gender” or “sex.” Find out more at our entry for sex. An adjective formed from sex, sexy, is not to be confused with the combining form sexi-.

The word circumnavigation can be described as sexisyllabic. With the meaning of sexi- in mind, what does sexisyllabic mean?