hom

IPA/hˈɒm/
KK[hˈɑm]IPA/hˈɑːm/

hom — combining form

1. a Greek prefix added to another word to show that the things being described are

1.構詞成分B2
釋義

a Greek prefix added to another word to show that the things being described are the same or alike

例句

'Flour' and 'flower' are homophones — they sound identical but differ in spelling and meaning.

hom- + phone (sound) = same sound

Wei learned that a human arm and a bat's wing are homologous — same bones beneath.

hom- + logos (ratio/account) = same structure

反義詞
  • heter-

    means 'different' — the opposite of 'same' (e.g. heterogeneous vs homogeneous)

文法句型

hom- + noun/adjective root

用法筆記

This combining form is academic in tone and appears most often in linguistics, biology, and mathematics vocabulary. It attaches to Greek or Latin roots, never to native English words.

常見錯誤

❌These two words are homonym.' (missing article).
✅These two words are homonyms.
💡When used as a noun, the word takes plural -s.

2. a clipped prefix from 'homosexual' used in terms about same-sex attraction; now

2.構詞成分C1
釋義

a clipped prefix from 'homosexual' used in terms about same-sex attraction; now widely seen as dated or offensive

例句

A school workshop on homophobia helped students understand the harm caused by anti-gay bullying.

hom- + phobia = fear/hatred of gay people

Sayaka's school newspaper ran an editorial about how homophobic language can hurt LGBTQ+ students.

同義詞
  • gay

    the standard neutral term for same-sex attraction; preferred over clinical or clipped forms

反義詞
  • hetero-

    means 'different sex' — the opposite combining form (e.g. heterosexual vs homosexual)

文法句型

hom- + noun (forming nouns about sexuality)

用法筆記

This form is a 20th-century clipping of homosexual and appears mainly in compound nouns like homophobia and homophobic. The stand-alone word gay or the initialism LGBTQ+ are now more respectful than phrases formed with this combining form in everyday speech.

常見錯誤

❌He is a hom.' (using the combining form as a stand-alone noun).
✅He is gay.
💡'hom' is not used alone as a noun in modern English.