to-

prefix

Parting: forming verbs that involve cleaving, breaking, or sundering.

“torob”

OriginMiddle English to- ← Old English tō- ← Proto-West Germanic *tō- →
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Meanings

to-1

prefix
  1. apart, away, asunder, in pieces; expressing separation, negation, or intensity.
    1. idiomaticParting: forming verbs that involve cleaving, breaking, or sundering.

      torend

      2 more examples

      tocrack

      togrind

    2. idiomaticTo do excessively.

      tobeat

      3 more examples

      topinch

      toquake

      toruffle

    3. idiomaticCompletely.

      torob

      3 more examples

      tobruise

      toreave

      toshend

    4. idiomaticMoving.

      tolug

      1 more example

      towind

to-2

prefix
  1. Used in various ways to indicate temporality:
    1. Current, the current form of the suffixed time. Forming nouns.

      today

      2 more examples

      tonight

      tosol

    2. On (this) time, which is a fixed point in time. Forming adverbs.

      today

      2 more examples

      tomorrow

      tomorn

    3. During the suffixed time. Forming adverbs.

      today

      2 more examples

      tonight

      toyear

    4. Of, as characteristic of the suffixed time period. Forming adverbs and adjectives.

      today

      1 more example

      together

    5. At, at the suffixed time. Forming an unfixed point in time, rather than a duration.

      tofall

      2 more examples

      tomorrow

      together

  2. Adding, additional in quantity.

    to-name

    1 more example

    to-bread

  3. Toward in direction or location.

    tofall

    2 more examples

    to-draw

    together

Origin

to- · prefix

  1. Proto-Indo-European*dwís“two-ways, in twain”
  2. Proto-Germanic*twiz-“apart, in two”
  3. Proto-West Germanic*tō-
  4. Old Englishtō-
  5. Middle Englishto-
  6. Englishto-

From Middle English to-, from Old English tō-, te- (“apart, away”), from Proto-West Germanic *tō-, *tuʀ-, *twiʀ-, from Proto-Germanic *twiz- (“apart, in two”), from Proto-Indo-European *dwís (“two-ways, in twain”).

More words from Middle English, Old English, Proto-West Germanic

Full word history & related roots →

to- · prefix

From to.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

to-. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/to-

MLA

“to-.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/to-. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “to-,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/to-.

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