apo-


a prefix occurring originally in loanwords from Greek, where it was joined to verbs, deverbal forms, and other parts of speech. Among its functions in Greek, apo- has the spatial sense “away, off, apart” (apogee; apocope; apostasy; apostrophe); it occurs with deverbals that denote a response or defense (apodosis; apology) and is found on verbs having perfective force relative to a corresponding simple verb (apoplexy; aposiopesis). In modern scientific coinages in English and other languages, apo- marks things that are detached, separate, or derivative (apocarpous; apoenzyme).
Also especially before a vowel, ap-.

Origin of apo-

< Greek, prefixal use of apó; akin to off, Sanskrit apa, Latin ab

British Dictionary definitions for apo-

apo-

ap-


prefix

away from; off apogee
indicating separation of apocarpous
indicating a lack or absence of apogamy
indicating derivation from or relationship to apomorphine

Word Origin for apo-

from Greek apo away, off

Medical definitions for apo-

apo-

pref.

Away from; off:aponeurosis.
Separate:apocrine.
Without; lacking; not:apoferritin.
Related to; derived from:apomorphine.