apico-

prefix

Having a shape that has a tip, point, or apex; apical, pointy.

“e.g. apicocoronal, apicoectomy”

Opposite

Meanings

prefix

alternative apic-

  1. Having a shape that has a tip, point, or apex; apical, pointy.

    e.g. apicoplast, apicophilicity, Homophoberia apicosa

  2. anatomyThe side of a body part (or organism) that is further away from the substrate it is attached to.

    e.g. apicocardiac, apicolateral, apicomedial

    1 more example

    usage note: For organisms that are attached to a substrate (e.g. sponges, protists), the side attached to the substrate is referred to as the basal end, and the end furthest from attachment is referred to as apical

    Antonyms: baso-

  3. human sciencesArticulated with the tip of the tongue.

    e.g. apicoalveolar, apicodental, apicopalatal

    1 more example

    We present two studies of native and non-native (English) perception of the acoustically and articulatorily similar four-way coronal stop contrast /t ʈ ȶ/ (apico-alveolar, apico-retroflex, lamino-dental, lamino-alveopalatal) of Wubuy, an indigenous language of Australia.

    2015 December 4, “Discrimination of Multiple Coronal Stop Contrasts in Wubuy (Australia): A Natural Referent Consonant Account”, in PLOS ONE, →DOI
  4. dentistryRelated to the root of a tooth.

    e.g. apicocoronal, apicoectomy

Synonyms & antonyms

prefixThe side of a body part (or organism) that is further away from the substrate it is attached to.

Opposite

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*h₂ep-
  2. Proto-Italic*apeks
  3. Latinapex
  4. Englishapico-

From international scientific vocabulary, reflecting a New Latin combining form, from apex.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Portuguese apico-, apico-
  • apico-apex
  • apico-articulated with the tip of the tongue
  • apico-related to the root of a tooth
Cite this entry
APA

apico-. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/apico-

MLA

“apico-.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/apico-. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “apico-,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/apico-.

Source: apico- on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.