Standard Lemma guide

mer-

prefix · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • UK: /ˈmɜː/
  • US: /ˈmɝ/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • homophone: murr
  • homophone: murre
  • homophone: myrrh (all fern–fir–fur merger)
  • homophone: mare (fair–fur merger)

1

prefix

Meaning 1

sea; marine; applied to beings that are fully or partly sea-creatures.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: morpheme

Examples

  • mercow, mermaid, merman, merswine, mersnake

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

prefix

Meaning 2

Of, pertaining to, or associated with the realm of mermaids and mermen.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: morpheme

Topics: fantasy

Examples

  • merlady, merfolk, merwife, mermonster

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

prefix

Meaning 3

Alternative form of mero- (“part, partial”) used before a vowel

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: alt-of, alternative, morpheme

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

From Middle English mere-, from Old English mere-, from Proto-Germanic *mari-, from Proto-Germanic *mari (“sea”). More at mere.

Extracted from merman, mermaid.