affix - Wiktionary, the free dictionary


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Affixes. Italo-Greek Vase in the Campana Collection (Louvres Museum)

Borrowed from Latin affixus, perfect passive participle of affigere (from ad- + figere), equivalent to ad- +‎ fix.

affix (plural affixes)

  1. That which is affixed; an appendage.
    Synonyms: addition, supplement; see also Thesaurus:adjunct
  2. (linguistic morphology) A bound morpheme added to the word’s stem's end.
    Synonym: adfix
    Hyponyms: suffix, postfix
  3. (linguistic morphology, broadly) A bound morpheme added to a word’s stem; a prefix, suffix, etc.
    Synonym: afformative
    Antonym: nonaffix
    Hypernyms: formative, formant, formans
    Hyponyms: prefix, suffix, infix, circumfix, suprafix
  4. (mathematics) The complex number   associated with the point in the Gauss plane with coordinates  .
  5. (decorative art) Any small feature, as a figure, a flower, or the like, added for ornament to a vessel or other utensil, to an architectural feature.

that which is affixed

linguistics: a bound morpheme added to a word’s stem

affix (third-person singular simple present affixes, present participle affixing, simple past and past participle affixed)

  1. (transitive) To attach.
    Synonyms: join, put together, unite; see also Thesaurus:join

    to affix a stigma to a person

    to affix ridicule or blame to somebody

    • 1691, John Ray, The Wisdom of God Manifested in the Works of the Creation. [], London: [] Samuel Smith, [], →OCLC:

      Should they [caterpillars] affix them to the leaves of a plant improper for their food []

  2. (transitive) To subjoin, annex, or add at the close or end; to append to.

    to affix a syllable to a word

    to affix a seal to an instrument

    to affix one’s name to a writing

  3. (transitive) To fix or fasten figuratively; with on or upon.

    eyes affixed upon the ground

    • 1596, Edmund Spenser, An Hymn of Heavenly Beauty:

      Look thou no further, but affix thine eye/On that bright, shiny, round, still moving mass,/The house of blessed gods, which men call sky,/All sow'd with glist'ring stars more thick than grass...

to attach

Ultimately from Latin affixum. This etymology is incomplete. You can help Wiktionary by elaborating on the origins of this term.

  • IPA(key): /ˈɑ.fɪks/
  • Hyphenation: af‧fix

affix n (plural affixen, diminutive affixje n)

  1. Affix (linguistics and mathematics)

affix n

  1. an affix
Declension of affix 
Singular Plural
Indefinite Definite Indefinite Definite
Nominative affix affixet affix affixen
Genitive affix affixets affix affixens