quadru-

Quadru- is a combining form used like a prefix meaning “four.” It is used in some technical and everyday terms.

Quadru- comes from the Latin quattuor, meaning “four.” The Greek equivalent is tetra-, which also appears as tetr-, as in tetrahedron. Want to know more? Check out our Words That Use entries for tetr- and tetra-.

What are variants of quadru-?

Quadru- is a variant of quadri-, as in quadripole, used before some labial consonants (such as –p– or –f-).

When combined with words or word elements that begin with a vowel, quadru- becomes quadr-, as in quadric.

Occasionally, the variant quadra– is used, as in quadraphony.

Want to learn more? Check out our Words That Use entries for quadr-, quadra-, and quadri-.

A term that you may have come across that features the combining form quadru- is quadruped, “four-footed.” Quadruped comes from the Latin quadruped, which uses the equivalent of the form quadru-.

The form quadru- means “four,” as we know. The -ped part of the word may also look familiar. It means “having a foot.” Quadruped literally translates to “having four feet.”

What are some words that use the Latin equivalent of the combining form quadru-?

• quadrumane
• quadrumanous
• quadruplet
• quadruplex
• quadruplicate
• quadrupole

What are some other forms that quadru- may be commonly confused with?

• quasi-
• quinque-

The form -manous comes from the Latin word for “hand.” With this in mind, what is significant about a quadrumanous animal?