It's Greek To Me!

Greek and Latin Prefixes, Roots and Suffixes used in English
This page © 1999 by Nicholas E. Miller


Basic term

Meaning

Greek
Latin
Prefix
Suffix

igni

fire

.
Yes
Yes
.

Examples

Definition

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aqua et igni interdictus (5)

(saying) - water and fire forbid = an outlaw, from the idea that they were to be forbidden to be furnished with water and fire.

gelignite (5)

(noun) - ge(latin) + fire + -ite = a kind of dynamite with an adsorbent base of mostly potassium or another nitrate and wood pulp.

ignimbrite (5)

(noun) - fire + rain + ite = a rock composed mostly of solidified deposits of fine volcanic ash.

ignis fatuus (5)

(noun) - fire + foolish = an illusion; a light which sometimes appears at night over a marsh and is attributed to the combustion of gas from decomposed organic matter. The plural is ignes fatui.

ignite (2)

(verb) - to ignite, i.e. become on fire = to set on or subject to fire; to catch fire or begin to glow. Ignitable is the adjective form, igniter and ignitor are noun forms.

ignition (2)

(noun) - to ignite, i.e. become on fire = the act of igniting; starting a fire; heating plasma to a temperature high enough to sustain nuclear fusion; the process of igniting a fuel mixture; the starting of an engine or motor, such as a car or rocket.

ignitron (5)

(noun) - fire + -tron = a mercury-containing rectifier tube where an arc is struck at the beginning of each cycle by a special electrode energized by an auxiliary circuit.

pre-ignition (4)

(noun) - before + to ignite, i.e. become on fire = early or premature ignition in an internal combustion engine.

self-ignite (3)

(verb) - self + to ignite, i.e. become on fire = become ignited without flame or spark.

self-ignition (3)

(noun) - self + to ignite, i.e. become on fire = becoming ignited without flame or spark; automatic combustion of material through chemical action, such as the oxidation of its constituents; also called spontaneous combustion.