morpheme

[ mawr-feem ]
/ ˈmɔr fim /

noun Linguistics.

any of the minimal grammatical units of a language, each constituting a word or meaningful part of a word, that cannot be divided into smaller independent grammatical parts, as the, write, or the -ed of waited. Compare allomorph(def 2), morph(def 1).

Origin of morpheme

1895–1900; < French morphème; see morph-, -eme

OTHER WORDS FROM morpheme

mor·phe·mic, adjective mor·phe·mi·cal·ly, adverb

British Dictionary definitions for morpheme

morpheme
/ (ˈmɔːfiːm) /

noun

linguistics a speech element having a meaning or grammatical function that cannot be subdivided into further such elements

Derived forms of morpheme

morphemic, adjective morphemically, adverb

Word Origin for morpheme

C20: from French, from Greek morphē form, coined on the model of phoneme; see -eme