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-ite (īt)

  1. a native, inhabitant, or citizen of: Brooklynite
  2. a descendant from or offspring of: Israelite
  3. an adherent of, believer in, or member of: laborite
  4. a product, esp. a commercially manufactured one: Lucite, dynamite, vulcanite
  5. a fossil: ammonite
  6. a part of a body or bodily organ: somite

  7. Origin: Fr, arbitrary alteration of -ate, -ate

    a salt or ester of an acid whose name ends in -ous: nitrite, sulfite
  8. a (specified) mineral or rock: anthracite, dolomite

Origin: ME < OFr or L or Gr: OFr -ite < L -ita, -ites < Gr -itēs, fem. -itis

-ite (īt; it)

forming adjectives, nouns, and verbs: finite

Origin: L -itus, ending of some past participles

-ite 1

suffix
  1. Native or resident of: New Jerseyite.
  2. a. Descendant of: Levite.
    b. Adherent or follower of: Luddite.
  3. A part of an organ, body, or bodily part: somite.
  4. a. Rock; mineral: graphite.
    b. Fossil: trilobite.
  5. a. Product: metabolite.
    b. A commercial product: ebonite.

Origin: Middle English, from Old French, from Latin -ītēs, -īta, from Greek -ītēs.

-ite 2

suffix
A salt or ester of an acid named with an adjective ending in -ous: sulfite.

Origin: Alteration of -ate2.

Browse dictionary definitions near -ite

  1. -ious
  2. -isation
  3. -ise
  4. -ish
  5. -ism
  6. -ism (medical)
  7. -ismus
  8. -ist
  9. -istic
  10. -istical
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  10. -itol