-carpic

The combining form -carpic is used like a suffix to form adjectives of words ending -carp, which refers to “fruit” or a “fruiting body.” A fruiting-body is an organ that produces spores, which develops into a part of a fruit. The form -carpic is often used in scientific terms, especially in biology and botany.

The form -carpic is a combination of the combining form -carp, from the Greek karpós, meaning “fruit,” and the adjective-forming suffix -ic. Equivalent to -carpic is -carpous. So, eucarpic can also be spelled as eucarpous; they both still mean the same thing.

Want to know more? Ready our Words That Use -carp and -carpous articles.

An example of a term from biology that features the combining form -carpic is holocarpic. Holocarpic describes a fungus whose entire thallus is converted into fruiting bodies—it’s entire plant body produces spores.

The first part of the word, holo- means “whole” or “entire.” The second part of the word, -carpic, refers to fruit. A holocarpic literally translates to “whole fruiting body.”

What are some words that use the combining form –carpic?

• angiocarpic
• anisocarpic
• eucarpic
• isocarpic
• parthenocarpic
• polycarpic (using the equivalent form of -carpic in New Latin)

The combining form pleuro- can mean “side” or “lateral.” In general terms, pleurocarpic mosses produce their spores along what part of their stems?