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

pyro, pyr

fire, heat, fever

Yes, originally
.
Yes
.

Examples

Definition

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pyre (3)

(noun) - from the Greek word = a pile for burning a dead body as a funeral rite.

Pyrex (2)

(trademark) - from the Greek word = a company trademark for a type of glassware which is heat and chemical resistant.

pyrocatechol (5)

(noun) - fire + catechol = C6H6O2, a heat modified phenol obtained from resins and similar materials or made synthetically and used in organic synthesis and as a photographic developer.

pyroclastic (4)

(adj.) - fire + clastic = formed by volcanic or igneous action.

pyroelectricity (4)

(noun) - fire + amber = electrical polarization cause by a change of temperature in a crystal. Pyroelectric and pyroelectical are the adjective forms.

pyrogallol (4)

(noun) - fire + gallic (acid) ol = C6H6O3, a weakly acidic phenol obtained by pyrolyzing gallic acid and used as a reducing agent in photographic developing.

pyrogen (4)

(noun) - fever + producing = a substance which produces a fever.

pyrogenic (3)

(adj.) - fever + producing = producing or produced by heat or fever; of or an igneous origin. Pyrogenicity is the noun form.

pyrolyze, pyrolize (5)

(verb) - fire + loosening = to expose to pyrolysis. Pyrolyzable is the adjective form and pyrolyzer noun form.

pyrolysis (5)

(noun) - fire + loosening = chemical change brought about by heat. Pyrolytic is the adjective form and pyrolytically is the adverb form.

pyromancy (5)

(noun) - fire + divination = divination by means of fire or flames.

pyromania (3)

(noun) - fire + madness = an irresistible urge to start fires. Pyromaniacal is the adjective form and pyromaniac is the noun form for a person who does this.

pyrometallurgy (4)

(noun) - fire + metal + work = the use of heat on chemical such as in roasting and smelting. Pyrometallurgical is the adjective form.

pyrometer (3)

(noun) - fire + measure = a special kind of thermometer for measuring temperatures beyond the usual range of mercurial thermometers. Pyrometric is the adjective form, pyrometrically is the adverb form and pyrometry is the noun form.

pyromorphite (5)

(noun) - fire + form, shape = a mineral containing mainly lead chloride and phosphate.

pyrophoric (5)

(adj.) - fire + bear, carry = spontaneously igniting; giving off sparks when scratched or struck by steel or other metals.

pyrophosphate (5)

(noun) - fire + light + carry = a salt or ester of pyrophosphoric acid.

pyrophosphoric acid (5)

(noun) - fire + light + carry + sour, sharp = H4P2O7, a crystalline acid produced by heating orthophosphoric acid.

pyrosis (5)

(noun) - fire + -sis = heartburn; a burning discomfort in the middle of the chest caused by acidic stomach fluids.

pyrotechnic (4)

(adj.) - fire + skill = relating to pyrotechnics. Pyrotechnically is the adverb form and pyrotechnical is another adjective form.

pyrotechnic (3)

(noun) - fire + skill = a firework or device for lighting a rocket, causing an explosion, etc.

pyrotechnics (3)

(noun, as a plural) - fire + skill = the art or science of making, manufacturing and using fireworks; a spectacular fireworks display; an extreme display of any kind. Pyrotechnist is the noun form for a person who makes or studies this.

pyroxene (5)

(noun) - fire + stranger = igneous, rock forming silicate minerals containing calcium, sodium, magnesium, iron, or aluminum, occur in prismatic crystals, and vary in color. Pyroxenoid can be either an adjective or noun.

pyroxylin (4)

(noun) - fire + wood = a flammable nitrocellulose mixture used to make plastics and lacquers.