See also: ous and -ouš

EnglishEdit

Alternative formsEdit

EtymologyEdit

From Middle English -ous, from Old French -ous, -eux, from Latin -ōsus (full, full of). Doublet of -ose and -wise in unstressed position.

PronunciationEdit

  • IPA(key): /-əs/
  • (file)

SuffixEdit

-ous

  1. Used to form adjectives from nouns, to denote:
    1. possession of
      bulb + ‎-ous → ‎bulbous
    2. presence of a quality in any degree (typically abundance of)
      courage + ‎-ous → ‎courageous
      joy + ‎-ous → ‎joyous
      poison + ‎-ous → ‎poisonous
      riot + ‎-ous → ‎riotous
    3. relation or pertinence to
      aptonym + ‎-ous → ‎aptonymous
      arrhenotoky + ‎-ous → ‎arrhenotokous
  2. (chemistry) Used in chemical nomenclature to name chemical compounds in which a specified chemical element has a lower oxidation number than in the equivalent compound whose name ends in the suffix -ic. For example sulphuric acid (H2SO4) has more oxygen atoms per molecule than sulphurous acid (H2SO3). See Inorganic nomenclature.

SynonymsEdit

Derived termsEdit

Related termsEdit

TranslationsEdit

Note: Translations of English words ending in -ous do not necessarily end in the suffixes listed below.

See alsoEdit

AnagramsEdit

Middle EnglishEdit

Alternative formsEdit

EtymologyEdit

From Old French -ous, -us, -eus, from Latin -ōsus.

PronunciationEdit

SuffixEdit

-ous

  1. Forms adjectives from nouns or verbs, especially if of Romance origin.

Derived termsEdit

DescendantsEdit

  • English: -ous

ReferencesEdit

Old FrenchEdit

SuffixEdit

-ous

  1. Alternative form of -us