Where does “phage” come from?
Phage comes from Ancient Greek -φάγος, from the past tense ἔφαγον, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European bʰeh₂g- meaning to eat or consume.
phage (English): A virus that is parasitic on bacteria
Definitions
- A virus that is parasitic on bacteria
Ancestry of “phage”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Ancient Greek | -φάγος | eater; eater; glutton; -eating |
| 2 | Ancient Greek | ἔφαγον | I ate, devoured |
| 3 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰh₂g- | — |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰeh₂g- | to divide, distribute, allot |
Words derived from “phage”