Adjacent Words

en- definitions

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Merriam Webster's

I. prefix also em- Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin in-, im-, from in 1. put into or onto <enthrone> ; cover with <enshroud> ; go into or onto <enplane> — in verbs formed from nouns 2. cause to be <enslave> — in verbs formed from adjectives or nouns 3. provide with <empower> — in verbs formed from nouns 4. so as to cover <enwrap> ; thoroughly <entangle> — in verbs formed from verbs; in all senses usually em- before b, m, or p II. prefix also em- Etymology: Middle English, from Latin, from Greek, from en in — more at in in ; within <enzootic> — usually em- before b, m, or p <empathy>

Oxford Reference Dictionary

1. prefix (also em- before b, p) forming verbs, = IN-(1): 1 from nouns, meaning 'put into or on' (engulf; entrust; embed). 2 from nouns or adjectives, meaning 'bring into the condition of' (enslave); often with the suffix -en (enlighten). 3 from verbs: a in the sense 'in, into, on' (enfold). b as an intensive (entangle). Etymology: from or after F en- f. L in- 2. prefix (also em- before b, p) in, inside (energy; enthusiasm). Etymology: Gk

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

En- En- 1. [F. en-, L. in.] A prefix signifying in or into, used in many English words, chiefly those borrowed from the French. Some English words are written indifferently with en-or in-. For ease of pronunciation it is commonly changed to em-before p, b, and m, as in employ, embody, emmew. It is sometimes used to give a causal force, as in enable, enfeeble, to cause to be, or to make, able, or feeble; and sometimes merely gives an intensive force, as in enchasten. See In-. 2. A prefix from Gr. ? in, meaning in; as, encephalon, entomology. See In-.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

En- is added to words to form verbs that describe the process of putting someone into a particular state, condition, or place, or to form adjectives and nouns that describe that process or those states and conditions. People with disabilities are now doing many things to enrich their lives. ...the current campaign to enthrone him as our national bard... It is the first enthronement since 1928. ...a more enlightened leadership. PREFIX

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

(`ayin (compare Arabic `Ain)):

The Hebrew word for "spring" or "fountain" (Ge 16:7; Nu 33:9; Ne 2:14; Pr 8:28 (feminine plural)). It occurs in numerous compound words, as EN-GEDI, EN-HADDAH, EN-HAKKORE, EN-HAZOR, EN-RIMMON, EN-ROGEL, EN-SHEMESH (which see). In the same way the word `Ain is a very common component of Arabic names of places throughout Palestine and Syria at the present day. Places with names compounded with "En-" were almost certainly located near a spring.

See FOUNTAIN; WELL.