-phane

-phane

or -phan

suff.

A substance resembling something specified: tryptophan.

---

[From Greek -phanēs, appearing, from phainesthai, to appear; see bhā- in Indo-European roots.]

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

-phane

n combining form

indicating something resembling a specified substance: cellophane.

[from Greek phainein to shine, (in passive) appear]

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

-phane

a combining form occurring in the names of substances, esp. minerals, that seem like or have the appearance of that named by the initial element: cymophane; hydrophane.

[< Greek -phanēs, adj. derivative of phaínesthai to seem, appear; compare allophane, -phany]

Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.