-ous
American-
a suffix forming adjectives that have the general sense “possessing, full of ” a given quality (covetous; glorious; nervous; wondrous ); -ous and its variant -ious have often been used to Anglicize Latin adjectives with terminations that cannot be directly adapted into English (atrocious; contiguous; garrulous; obvious; stupendous ). As an adjective-forming suffix of neutral value, it regularly Anglicizes Greek and Latin adjectives derived without suffix from nouns and verbs; many such formations are productive combining forms in English, sometimes with a corresponding nominal combining form that has no suffix;
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a suffix forming adjectival correspondents to the names of chemical elements; specialized, in opposition to like adjectives ending in -ic, to mean the lower of two possible valences (stannous chloride, SnCl 2 , and stannic chloride SnCl4 ).
suffix
-
having, full of, or characterized by
dangerous
spacious
languorous
-
(in chemistry) indicating that an element is chemically combined in the lower of two possible valency states Compare -ic
ferrous
stannous
Etymology
Origin of -ous
Middle English < Anglo-French, Old French < Latin -ōsus; a doublet of -ose 1
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Agamic -ous: reproducing without union with a male.
From Explanation of Terms Used in Entomology by Smith, John. B.
Pachydac′tyl, -ous, having thick digits; Pach′yderm, thick-skinned—n. one of an order of non-ruminant, hoofed mammals, thick-skinned, as the elephant:—pl.
From Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 3 of 4: N-R) by Various
Ametabola -ous: insects without obvious metamorphoses, in which the larvae usually resemble the adult and the pupae are active.
From Explanation of Terms Used in Entomology by Smith, John. B.
Scabrose -ous: rough like a file, with small raised points.
From Explanation of Terms Used in Entomology by Smith, John. B.
The most familiar one of these is given a name ending in the suffix -ic, while the one with less oxygen is given a similar name, but ending in the suffix -ous.
From An Elementary Study of Chemistry by McPherson, William
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
