hypo-

hypo-

(word root) less than normal, insufficient, under

Examples of words with the root hypo-: hypodermic

Abused, Confused, & Misused Words by Mary Embree Copyright © 2007, 2013 by Mary Embree

hypo-

or hyp-

pref.

1. Below; beneath; under: hypodermic.

2. Less than normal; deficient: hypoesthesia.

3. In the lowest state of oxidation: hypoxanthine.

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[Greek hupo-, from hupo, under, beneath; see upo 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.

hypo-

or before a vowel

hyp-

prefix

1. under, beneath, or below: hypodermic.

2. lower; at a lower point: hypogastrium.

3. less than: hypoploid.

4. (Medicine) (in medicine) denoting a deficiency or an abnormally low level: hypothyroid; hypoglycaemia.

5. incomplete or partial: hypoplasia.

6. (Chemistry) indicating that a chemical compound contains an element in a lower oxidation state than usual: hypochlorous acid.

[from Greek, from hupo under]

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Hypo-

prefix

(Classical Music) indicating a plagal mode in music: Hypodorian.

[from Greek: beneath (it lies a fourth below the corresponding authentic mode)]

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

hy•po¹

(ˈhaɪ poʊ)

n., pl. -pos, n.

1. a hypodermic syringe or injection.

2. a stimulus or boost.

v.t.

3. to stimulate by or as if by administering a hypodermic injection; boost: to hypo a car by installing a bigger engine.

[1900–05; by shortening of hypodermic; sense “stimulate” perhaps by association with hype¹; see -o]

hy•po²

(ˈhaɪ poʊ)

n.

sodium thiosulfate.

[1860–65; shortening of hyposulfite]

hy•po³

(ˈhaɪ poʊ)

n., pl. -pos.

1. a hypochondriac.

2. Archaic. hypochondria.

[1710–20; by shortening]

hypo-

a prefix meaning “under, below,” occurring esp. in words denoting an organ or location below a given body part (hypodermic; hypothalamus), or in terms denoting a body condition in which substances or functions are at below-normal levels ( hypothermia),sometimes as a counterpart to a word formed with hyper-; also used in the names of chemical compounds that are in a lower state of oxidation than a given compound (hyposulfurous acid).

Also, esp. before a vowel, hyp-.

[< Greek, prefixal use of hypó under (preposition), below (adv.); c. Latin sub (see sub-)]

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

hypo-

or hyp-

A prefix that means "beneath" or "below," as in hypodermic, below the skin. It also means "less than normal," as in hypoglycemia, having a level of sugar in the blood that is less than normal.

The American Heritage® Student Science Dictionary, Second Edition. Copyright © 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Translations

hypo-

pref → Hypo-, hypo-; hypoallergenic → hypoallergen

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007