nucleo-

prefix

Forming words pertaining to the cell nucleus or to nucleic acid.

OriginEnglish nucleus ← Latin nucleu ← Proto-Italic *knuks →
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Meanings

prefix
  1. Forming words pertaining to nuclei.
    1. biochemistryForming words pertaining to the cell nucleus or to nucleic acid.
    2. natural sciencesForming words pertaining to atomic nuclei.

Origin

  1. Proto-Italic*knuks
  2. Latinnux
  3. Latinnucleu
  4. Englishnucleus
  5. Englishnucleo-

Formed from nucleus, from Latin nucleus (“kernel, core”), a diminutive of nux (“nut”).

More words from Latin

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Italian nucleo-
  • nucleo-pertaining to the cell nucleus or to nucleic acid
Norwegian Bokmål atom-, kjerne-
  • atom-pertaining to the cell nucleus or to nucleic acid
  • kjerne-pertaining to the cell nucleus or to nucleic acid
  • atom-pertaining to atomic nuclei
  • kjerne-pertaining to atomic nuclei
Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

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

Chicago

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

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