mono-
one, single
From Greek monos, alone, single
Meaning
What does mono- mean?
mono- is a prefix meaning one, single. It comes from Greek monos, alone, single.
Inside words it is spelled mon.
Greek twin of Latin uni-; its opposite is poly-, many, as in mononeuropathy versus polyneuropathy.
In real words
Medical words with mono-
a large white blood cell with one nucleus that engulfs germs and debris
paralysis confined to one limb or one group of muscles
mononeuropathy
damage to a single peripheral nerve, as in carpal tunnel syndrome
having only one chromosome of a pair instead of the usual two, as in Turner syndrome
weakness, or partial paralysis, of a single limb
relating to or affecting only one ear
Don't mix it up
Parts easily confused with mono-
In the dictionary
More terms built with it
Terms in our life science dictionary that list mono- among their word parts.
Sources
Checked against
Written for biofideX in plain words, after checking these references:
- Appendix A: Word Parts and What They Mean
- 1.3: Common Prefixes
- mono- - Wiktionary, the free dictionary
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Numbers and amounts
mono- is one of 14 parts in this lesson. Learn them together, then take real words apart.
Start the Lesson