Etymology

photocage

P3H4O1T1O1C3A1G2E1

Today it means: Any of several molecular species that can be activated by light; they are used especially in biochemistry to attach a molecule to a biologically active compound and then study its behaviour once activated. Full definition →

English cage ← Ancient Greek φωτο- (phōto-) ← Proto-Hellenic *pʰáwos
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The story

  1. Proto-Indo-European*bʰeh₂-
  2. Proto-Indo-European*bʰéh₂os
  3. Proto-Hellenic*pʰáwos
  4. Ancient Greekφᾰ́ος (phắos)
  5. Ancient Greekφῶς (phôs)
  6. Ancient Greekφωτο- (phōto-)
  7. Englishphoto-
  8. Englishcage
  9. English todayphotocage

From photo- + cage.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.