-phyllous

The combining form –phyllous is used like a suffix meaning “having leaves.” It is occasionally used in scientific terms, especially in biology.

The form –phyllous ultimately comes from Greek phýllon, meaning “leaf.” The Latin cognate of phýllon is folium, also meaning “leaf,” which is the source of words such as foil, foliage, and folio. To learn more, check out our entries for these three terms.

Closely related to –phyllous are the combining forms phyllo–, phyll–, and –phyll, which you can learn more about in our Words That Use articles on the forms.

A scientific term that uses the form –phyllous is stenophyllous, “having narrow leaves.”

The steno– part of the word means “narrow,” from Greek stenós. The –phyllous part of the word means “having leaves,” as we know. Stenophyllous literally translates to “having narrow leaves.”

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

• gamophyllous
• heterophyllous
• malacophyllous
• monophyllous (using the equivalent form of –phyllous in Greek)
• sclerophyllous

What are some other forms that –phyllous may be commonly confused with?

• -philous

The combining form mono– means “single” or “one.” With this in mind, what does monophyllous literally mean?