word-forming element meaning "hidden, covered," from Latinized form of Greek kalyptos "covered," from kalyptein "to cover, conceal," from PIE root *kel- (1) "to cover, conceal, save."
word-forming element meaning "tumor," from Latinized form of Greek kēlē "tumor, rupture, hernia," from PIE *kehul- "tumor" (source also of Old Norse haull, Old English heala "groin rupture," Old Church Slavonic kyla, Lithuanian kūlas "rupture").
word-forming element in geology to indicate more recent periods, introduced by Sir Charles Lyell (1797-1875), from Latinized form of Greek kainos "new," cognate with Latin recens (see recent). Also see Cenozoic.
word-forming element meaning "one hundred" or "one hundredth part," used in English from c. 1800, from the French metric system, from Latin centi-, combining form of centum "one hundred" (see hundred).
word-forming element meaning "having a center (of a certain kind); centered on," from Latinized form of Greek kentrikos "pertaining to a center," from kentron (see center (n.)).
before vowels chem-, word-forming element denoting "relation to chemical action or chemicals," from combining form of chemical (adj.), used to form scientific compound words from c. 1900. In 19c., chemico- was used.
before vowels chlor-, word-forming element used in chemistry, usually indicating the presence of chlorine in a compound, but sometimes "green," from Latinized combining form of Greek khlōros "greenish-yellow" (from PIE root *ghel- (2) "to shine," with derivatives denoting "green" and "yellow").
before vowels chron-, word-forming element meaning "time," from Latinized form of Greek khronos "time, a defined time, a lifetime, a season, a while," which is of uncertain origin.
