meri

IPA/mˈɛɹi/
IPA/mˈɛɹi/

meri — combining form

1. a prefix from Greek meaning 'part' or 'partial', used mainly in scientific and t

1.構詞成分C2
釋義

a prefix from Greek meaning 'part' or 'partial', used mainly in scientific and technical terms to indicate division into parts, partialness, or something relating to a part of a whole — for example, meristem (a plant tissue where new cells are formed by division) or meroblastic (describing cell division that affects only part of the egg).

例句

At a bean sprout's tip, the meristem — from Greek meri- 'part' — makes new leaf cells.

meristem in concrete plant context; meri- = 'part'

Bird eggs undergo meroblastic cleavage, meaning only a portion of the yolk divides during early development.

meroblastic = partial cleavage pattern

同義詞
  • part-

    English native equivalent, but not used as a productive combining form in scientific terms

  • partial-

    Overlaps in meaning but is less precise for scientific compounds

反義詞
  • holo-

    Greek prefix meaning 'whole' or 'entire,' opposite of 'part' (e.g., holoblastic vs. meroblastic)

文法句型

meri- + [noun stem] → compound noun

用法筆記

Frequently used in biology and linguistics. When attached to a Greek or Latin root, the vowel that follows may influence the spelling — compare 'meri-' (meristem) with 'mero-' (meroblastic) as variant forms. Not productive in everyday English vocabulary.

常見錯誤

❌The meri- part of the egg divided.
✅The egg underwent meroblastic cleavage.
💡meri- is a combining form, not a standalone word; it must attach to another root to form a complete term.