prefix
verb/ˈpriːfɪks/
/ˈpriːfɪks/
Verb Forms
| present simple I / you / we / they prefix | /ˈpriːfɪks/ /ˈpriːfɪks/ |
| he / she / it prefixes | /ˈpriːfɪksɪz/ /ˈpriːfɪksɪz/ |
| past simple prefixed | /ˈpriːfɪkst/ /ˈpriːfɪkst/ |
| past participle prefixed | /ˈpriːfɪkst/ /ˈpriːfɪkst/ |
| -ing form prefixing | /ˈpriːfɪksɪŋ/ /ˈpriːfɪksɪŋ/ |
- to add letters or numbers to the beginning of a word or number
- prefix A to B American members have the letters US prefixed to their code numbers.
- prefix B with A Their code numbers are prefixed with US.
Word Originmid 16th cent. (as a verb): from Old French prefixer, from Latin praefixus ‘fixed in front’, from the verb praefigere, from prae ‘before’ + figere ‘to fix’. The noun is from modern Latin praefixum, neuter (used as a noun) of praefixus, and dates from the mid 17th cent.Want to learn more?
Find out which words work together and produce more natural sounding English with the Oxford Collocations Dictionary app.
Check pronunciation:
prefix