philo-, phil-, -phile, -philia, -philic, -philous, -phily, -philiac, -philist, -philism
(Greek: love, loving, friendly to, fondness for, attraction to; strong tendency toward, affinity for)
These are just a few of the meanings set up for the etymological meanings of philo- which comes to us from Greek.
In biology, there are many words that use philo-, phil- to mean "thriving in such and such a place or situation; or exhibiting a tendency for a specified condition" for its existence.
Other meanings include: "strongly attracted to; such as, an organism that loves or is strongly attracted to something which is specified".
In psychology and psychiatry, -phile, -philia, etc. use this element as a word termination indicating an abnormal craving or attraction to or an affinity for an object as shown by the word stems to which they are affixed.
Someone who loves playing with cubes which are usually made of plastic and have from one up to six dots on each of their six square sides: In the evenings after work, Jack, who was a philocubist, often played dice with his friends and he was so successful at winning that he even participated in dice tournaments!
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Go to this Word A Day Revisited Index
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philocynic (adjective), more philocynic, most philocynic
Regarding a fondness of dogs: Little Susan, known for her philocynic devotion, loved her two dalmatians which she took for walks through the park when she came home from school.
philocynical (adjective), more philocynical, most philocynical
Concerning the preference of, or bias for dogs: Gary had a philocynical partiality towards pets, and certainly didn't want to have any cats around!
The love of canines: Dorothy's mother got her a book on philocynism with lots of pictures and interesting information about dogs for her birthday.
philodemic (adjective), more philodemic, most philodemic
Concerning a fondness, love, or concern for people in general: Tom decided to join Amnesty International because he certainly had a philodemic interest in banning the use of torture and in abolishing the death penalty over he world.
One who has a special fondness for trees: Since Jane was a little girl she was a philodendrist and her love of trees as an adult didn't subside. She planted many trees in her garden and went on long walks in the forest many times a month.
1. Any of various climbing tropical American plants of the genus Philodendron, many of which are cultivated as houseplants: A philodendron is an evergreen plant characterized by smooth, shiny, and showy leaves.
2. Etymology: Via Modern Latin, from Greek, philodendros, "loving trees" because it climbs or twines around trees in its native habitat.
2. Etymology: Via Modern Latin, from Greek, philodendros, "loving trees" because it climbs or twines around trees in its native habitat.
One who loves tyranny: Susan started to read a story about a country where philodespots liked the way the ruler used absolute power to keep his nation under control, and then she quit reading after the first few pages.
A person who is especially fond of his or her own opinions or someone who loves to hear himself or herself talk; a chatterbox: Greg was a philodox who was convinced that he always had the right answers for everything and so he never hesitated to pass such information on to his fellow workers and even his superiors.
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Go to this Word A Day Revisited Index
Go to this Word A Day Revisited Index
so you can see more of Mickey Bach's cartoons.
A purveyer: In comparison to a philosopher who teaches knowledge, insight, and wisdom, a philodoxer is one who conveys illusory beliefs and convictions, and egoistic desires.
philodoxical (adjective), more philodoxical, most philodoxical
A reference to someone who is devoted to his or her own opinions: Mrs. Big was a philodoxical person who always had arguments for her own convictions and was very dogmatic.
The love of one's own opinion: Swayed by philodoxy, Judy was very adamant about her own beliefs, especially those pertaining to religious matters:
Someone who has a fondness and a love for tabbies: Rene's grandmother is an example of a philofelinist who always had an abnormal number of alley cats, calico cats, and tomcats living with her.
philogastric (noun), more philogastric, most philogastric
Characterizing someone who is gluttonous: Sam's brother was philogastric and always went back for seconds or thirds just in order to stuff his stomach regardless to the quality of the meals or if he felt ill afterwards!.
Someone who is overly fond of food: Chuck knew a man who was especially greedy for more and more food, and he ate many times a day. His acquaintances termed him as being a philogastrist, and he became extremely obese just in a few months.
You may take a self-scoring quiz over some of the words in this section by just clicking this Philo Quiz #1 link.Related "love, fondness" units: agape-; amat-; vener-; venus.
