Leptos
/ˈlɛp.tos/noun
A Greek word meaning “thin,” “slender,” or “fine.”
Did you know?In ancient Greek, leptós was used for things that were finely made, delicate, or slender, and it survives in modern scientific language because Greek roots became the secret code of medicine and biology.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
λεπτός (leptós)
“thin, fine, delicate, slender”
Late Antiquity
Greek
λεπτο- (lepto-)
“a combining form meaning “thin” or “fine” used in compounds”
19th Century
English
lepto-
“a scientific prefix used in technical coinages”
Modern English
English
leptos
“used chiefly as a transliterated Greek form or in scientific/technical contexts”
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