prefix
Etymology

Borrowed from Middle French prefixer (verb) resp.

Pronunciation
  • (noun) IPA: /ˈpɹiːfɪks/, /pɹɛˈfɪks/
  • (verb) IPA: /ˈpɹiːfɪks/, /pɹiːˈfɪks/, /pɹɛˈfɪks/
Noun

prefix (plural prefixes)

  1. Something placed before another
    1. (grammar, linguistic morphology) A morpheme added to the beginning of a word to modify its meaning, for example as, pre- in prefix, con- in conjure, re- in reheat, etc.
      Synonyms: foresyllable, prefixum
      Antonyms: suffix
      Hypernyms: affix, morpheme
    2. (telecommunications) A set of digits placed before a telephone number, to indicate where the number is based, what type of phone number it is (landline, mobile, toll-free, premium rate etc.)
      in the UK, a number with an 0800 prefix is a toll-free number.
      Add the prefix +34 to dial a Spanish number from abroad
    3. A title added to a person's name, such as Mr. or Dr.
    4. (computing) An initial segment of a string of characters.
      The string "abra" is both a prefix and a suffix of the string "abracadabra".
Synonyms Translations Translations Translations Translations Verb

prefix (prefixes, present participle prefixing; simple past and past participle prefixed)

  1. (transitive) To determine beforehand; to set in advance. [from 15thc.]
    • 1603, Michel de Montaigne, chapter 40, in John Florio, transl., The Essayes […], book I, London: […] Val[entine] Simmes for Edward Blount […], →OCLC ↗:
      But the danger was, that a man can hardly prefix any certaine limits unto his desire […].
  2. (transitive) To put or fix before, or at the beginning of something; to place at the start. [from 16thc.]
Translations Translations


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