Definify.com

Webster 1913 Edition

Per-

Per-

.
[See
Per
.]
1.
A prefix used to signify through, throughout, by, for, or as an intensive as perhaps, by hap or chance; perennial, that lasts throughout the year; perforce, through or by force; perfoliate, perforate; perspicuous, evident throughout or very evident; perplex, literally, to entangle very much.
2.
(Chem.)
Originally, denoting that the element to the name of which it is prefixed in the respective compounds exercised its highest valence; now, only that the element has a higher valence than in other similar compounds; thus, barium peroxide is the highest oxide of barium; while nitrogen and manganese peroxides, so-called, are not the highest oxides of those elements.

Definition 2024

per-

per-

See also: per, Per, PER, pêr, për, and për-

English

Prefix

per-

  1. (non-productive) In verbs: denoting the sense "through", as in perforate.
  2. (non-productive) In verbs: denoting the sense "thoroughly", as in perfect.
  3. (non-productive) In verbs: denoting the sense "to destruction", as in pervert.
  4. (non-productive) In adjectives and adverbs: denoting the sense "extremely", as in perfervid.
  5. (chemistry) Forming nouns and adjectives denoting the maximum proportion of one element in a compound, as in peroxide.
  6. (chemistry) Added to the name of an element in a polyatomic ion denote the number of that element (usually four).

Derived terms

<a class='CategoryTreeLabel CategoryTreeLabelNs14 CategoryTreeLabelCategory' href='/wiki/Category:English_words_prefixed_with_per-'>English words prefixed with per-</a>

Related terms

Etymology 2

Borrowing from Old French per (modern French par).

Prefix

per-

  1. (non-productive) Denoting the sense "by" or "per", as in perchance or perhaps.

Asturian

Etymology

From Latin per-.

Prefix

per-

  1. used to make superlatives of adjectives
    perguapu‎
    very beautiful
    perblancu‎
    very white

See also

Latin

Etymology

From per ‎(“through”).

Prefix

per-

  1. Used to make adjectives or verbs that are "very" something
    multi ‎(“many”) → permulti ‎(“very many”)

Derived terms

<a class='CategoryTreeLabel CategoryTreeLabelNs14 CategoryTreeLabelCategory' href='/wiki/Category:Latin_words_prefixed_with_per-'>Latin words prefixed with per-</a>

See also

Malay

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /pə(r)/

Prefix

per-

  1. abstraction, place, goal, result

Derived terms

<a class='CategoryTreeLabel CategoryTreeLabelNs14 CategoryTreeLabelCategory' href='/wiki/Category:Malay_words_prefixed_with_per-'>Malay words prefixed with per-</a>

Etymology

Borrowing from Latin per and per-.

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