petri-
AmericanUsage
What does petri- mean? Petri- is a combining form used like a prefix meaning “rock” or "stone." It is very occasionally used in scientific terms.Petri- comes from Greek pétra, meaning “rock.” Two Latin translations of pétra are lapis and saxum, both meaning “stone,” which are the roots of terms such as lapis lazuli and saxifrage, respectively. To learn more, check out our entries for both words.What are variants of petri-?When combined with words or word elements that begin with a vowel, petri- becomes petr-, as in petrous, from the Latin equivalent of the form. Another variant of petri- is petro-. Want to know more? Read our Words That Use articles on petr- and petro-.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Spelling blamed her five children for the outbreak at her property, joking: “I mean it started with the five petri dishes that live in my house, but they bring things home, that’s normal. And, you know, you work through it, you get sick.”
From MarketWatch
He pointed to someone in a glassed-in room taking samples out of a petri dish with a pipette and putting it under a large, heavy-duty microscope hooked up to a computer monitor.
From Literature
Dr. Achebe held out a petri dish and she put it in, then slapped a bandage on Coal’s arm.
From Literature
The camera was facing a petri dish where a gloved hand holding a pipette was adding something to the solution.
From Literature
When the ceremony began, Petri walked out to the song “I’ll Be There” by the Jackson 5, while Williams strutted out to “Ovunque Sarai” by Irama.
From MarketWatch
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
