aphaeresis

noun

aphaer·e·sis ə-ˈfer-ə-səs

plural aphaereses ə-ˈfer-ə-ˌsēz

: the loss of one or more sounds or letters at the beginning of a word (as in round for around and coon for raccoon)

aphaeretic

ˌa-fə-ˈre-tik

adjective

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Late Latin, borrowed from Greek aphaíresis "taking away, removal, dropping of a letter or sound from the beginning of a word," from aphaire-, stem of aphairéō, aphaireîn "to take away" (from aph-, assimilated variant of apo- apo- + hairéō, haireîn "to take, grasp," of obscure origin) + -sis -sis

First Known Use

circa 1550, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler

The first known use of aphaeresis was circa 1550

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Style

“Aphaeresis.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/aphaeresis. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.

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noun

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