-phil

comb. form var. of -PHILE.

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I. \\ˌfil\ noun combining form or -phile \\ˌfīl\ (-s)

Etymology: French -phile, from Greek -philos, from philos beloved, dear, loving

: one that loves : lover : one having a fondness or affinity for or a strong attraction to

acidophil

hemophile

bibliophile

Anglophile

II. adjective combining form or -phile \\“\

Etymology: New Latin -philus, from Latin, from Greek philos beloved, dear, loving

: loving : having a fondness or affinity for

hemophile

Francophil

negrophile

organophile

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var. of -phile: eosinophil.

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-phil /-fil/ or -phile /-fīl/ suffix

1. Lover of

2. Loving

• • •

Main Entry: ↑phil-

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phil-,

combining form. the form of philo- (Cf. ↑philo-) before vowels, as in philanthropy.

-phil,

combining form. variant of -phile (Cf. ↑-phile), as in eosinophil.

phil.,

philosophy.

Phil.,

an abbreviation for the following:

1. Philemon (book of the New Testament)

2. Philip.

3. Philippians (book of the New Testament).

4. a) Philippine. b) Philippines.

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comb. form having a chemical affinity for a substance

acidophil | neutrophil

Origin:

see -phile

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-phil, -phile

(fɪl, faɪl)

combining element repr. Gr. ϕίλος loving, dear. In Greek, found only in certain personal names, where it means ‘dear, beloved’, as Δίϕιλος (dear to Zeus), θεόϕιλος (dear to God). In med. and mod.L. often used as a second element in form -philus, -phila, with sense ‘lover, loving’ (e.g. botanophilus (Linn.) lover of plants, amateur botanist, Ammophila, generic name). Hence in French words -phile, in Eng. -phile or later -phil, as Anglophil(e, Russophil(e, Slavophil(e, Turcophil(e, for which forms with the prefix philo- are more correct etymologically; so conchophil(e (shell-loving), gastrophil(e, oxyphil(e, etc.; spec. in Biol. and Med. in the sense ‘having an affinity for (a certain substance or class of substances)’, as in eosinophil a. and n., neutrophil(e adj. and n. (s.v. neutro-). Hence also -philous, q.v.