-gony
Words nearby -gony
WORDS THAT USE -GONY
What does -gony mean?
The combining form -gony is used like a suffix meaning “production,” “genesis,” or “origination.” It is occasionally used in scientific terms, especially in biology.
The form -gony ultimately comes from Greek gónos, meaning “seed, generation.”
Examples of -gony
An example of a scientific term that features the form -gony is heterogony, “the alternation of dioecious and hermaphroditic individuals in successive generations, as in certain nematodes.” If that sounds overly technical, breaking down the word will give a clearer understanding of the meaning.
The form hetero- might look familiar; it means “different” or “other,” from Greek héteros. The form -gony means “production” or “origination,” as we have seen. Heterogony literally translates to “different productions.”
What are some words that use the combining form -gony?
- cosmogony (using the equivalent form of -gony in Greek)
- merogony
- schizogony
- sporogony
- telegony
What are some other forms that -gony may be commonly confused with?
Not every word that ends with the exact letters -gony, such as jargony or agony, is necessarily using the combining form -gony to denote “production.” Learn why agony means “pain” at our entry for the word.
How to use -gony in a sentence
Now the Leaflanders were quite too well-bred ever to have used or heard so barbarous a word as “gony.”
Our Young Folks, Vol 1, No. 1|Various