-ous
word-forming element making adjectives from nouns, meaning "having, full of, having to do with, doing, inclined to," from Old French -ous, -eux, from Latin -osus (compare -ose (1)). In chemistry, "having a lower valence than forms expressed in -ic."
Entries linking to -ous
"headless," 1731, from French acéphale + -ous or directly from Late Latin acephalus, from Greek akephalos. See a- (3) "not" + cephalo- "head."
Principally in botany and zoology, but also "without a leader" (1751). Acephali as the name of a fabulous race of men with no heads, said by ancient writers to inhabit part of Africa, is attested from c. 1600, from Late Latin plural of acephalus, from Greek akephalos; the name also appears in Church history in reference to sects that refused to have priests or bishops (1620s). Related: Acephalian (1580s); acephalic (1650s).
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updated on September 28, 2017
