trans- Hear it!

trans- definition

trans- (trans, tranz)

  1. on the other side of, to the other side of, over, across, through transatlantic, transpierce
  2. so as to change thoroughly transliterate
  3. above and beyond; transcending transonic
  4. Chem.
    1. designating an isomer having certain atoms or groups on opposite sides of a given plane in the molecule (in chemical names, usually printed in italic type and hyphenated and disregarded in alphabetization) trans-butene
    2. designating the elements beyond (a given element) in the periodic table transuranium

Etymology: L trans- (contr. to tra- before d-, m-, n-, l-, v-, j-) < trans, across, over, orig., prob. prp. of *trare, to pass, seen in intrare, extrare < IE base *ter-, to go, over, beyond > through

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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