infix
Americannoun
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Grammar. a morpheme or an entire word that is inserted within the body of another word or element, as Latin m in accumbō “I lie down,” as compared with accubuī “I lay down.”
verb (used with object)
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to fix, fasten, or drive in.
He infixed the fatal spear.
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to instill (a fact, idea, etc.) in the mind or memory; impress.
Your childhood trauma infixed these specific fears in your mind.
- Synonyms:
- inculcate
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Grammar. to add as an infix.
The English language infixes only a small set of expletives and euphemisms, as in “fan-freakin-tastic” or “abso-bloody-lutely.”
verb (used without object)
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Grammar. (of a linguistic form) to admit an infix.
Polysyllabic words in English infix just before the stressed syllable, as in “abso-frickin-LUTEly.”
adjective
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Mathematics, Computers. of or relating to operator notation that occurs between the operands, such as the symbols for addition, subtraction, multiplication, or division when written in a linear equation.
We are familiar with infix notation from elementary math class, and it can also be used in logic statements or computer programming languages.
verb
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(tr) to fix firmly in
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(tr) to instil or inculcate
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grammar to insert (an affix) or (of an affix) to be inserted into the middle of a word
noun
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grammar an affix inserted into the middle of a word
Other Word Forms
- infixation noun
- infixion noun
- uninfixed adjective
Etymology
Origin of infix
First recorded in 1495–1505; from Latin infīxus, past participle of infīgere “to fasten in”; in- 2, fix
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
But CPL uses infix notation; I’d have to get all the operator precedence right to generate Lisp code with the parens in the right place.
From Scientific American • Aug. 23, 2011
Node:2, Next:404, Previous:120 reset, Up:= 0 = 2 infix.
From The Jargon File, Version 4.2.2, 20 Aug 2000 by Steele, Guy L.
Inset, in′set, n. something set in, an insertion, esp. a leaf or leaves inserted in other leaves already folded.—v.t. to set in, to infix or implant.
From Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 2 of 4: E-M) by Various
An infix, muga, between the stem of the verb and the termination, gives a negative meaning, as, Ngubumugamangalu, we, dual exclusive, did not beat.
From The Wiradyuri and Other Languages of New South Wales by Mathews, R. H. (Robert Hamilton)
Consider that innumerable race of insects, which either are bred on the body of each animal, or, flying about, infix their stings in him.
From Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion by Hume, David
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.