Chondros
/ˈkɒn.drɒs/noun
A Greek word meaning "grain" or "kernel," and the source of scientific terms for cartilage and granular structures.
Did you know?Greek chondros gave us scientific words like cartilage terms in biology, because the ancients linked smooth body tissue to a grain-like lump or kernel.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*ǵr̥h₂-no-
“a grain or kernel”
Ancient Greek
Greek
χόνδρος (chóndros)
“grain, kernel; later a lump or piece of cartilage”
Classical Greek
Greek
χονδρο- (chondro-)
“a combining form used in compounds relating to cartilage or grain-like lumps”
Modern English
English
chondro-
“a prefix in scientific terms relating to cartilage”