In the word therm/o/meter, -meter is: an adjective a prefix a combining form a suffix a word root
The correct answer and explanation is :
The correct answer is a suffix.
Explanation:
In the word therm/o/meter, we can break it down into its parts:
- therm/o: This is a combining form, specifically derived from the Greek word “thermos,” meaning heat.
- meter: This is a suffix that comes from the Greek word “metron,” meaning measure.
What is a suffix?
A suffix is a morpheme (a unit of meaning) that is added to the end of a word to change its meaning or grammatical function. Suffixes are used to form new words from existing ones, often altering the word’s part of speech, tense, or other grammatical features.
In the case of -meter, it is a suffix because it is added to the end of the word to form a noun that refers to an instrument used for measuring. The suffix -meter is commonly found in words that describe instruments used to measure a particular quantity, such as thermometer (measures heat), barometer (measures atmospheric pressure), and speedometer (measures speed).
Understanding the structure:
- Therm/o: This is the combining form that refers to heat. Combining forms typically consist of a root and a vowel that connects it to other elements (in this case, “o”).
- Meter: The suffix that indicates something is a device or instrument used to measure.
So, in the context of thermometer, therm/o tells us it’s related to heat, and -meter tells us it is an instrument used for measuring heat.
Why isn’t it a prefix or other forms?
- Prefix: A prefix appears at the beginning of a word, whereas -meter is added at the end.
- Combining form: While therm/o is a combining form, -meter is not; it’s a complete suffix that specifically alters the meaning of the word to denote a measuring device.
- Adjective: Adjectives describe nouns, but -meter is a noun-forming suffix, not an adjective.
- Word root: A word root is the core part of a word that provides its primary meaning. In this case, therm is the root related to heat, and -meter is a suffix that modifies the meaning.
In conclusion, -meter is a suffix because it modifies the meaning of the word to indicate that the object measures something, and it’s always placed at the end of the word.