-zoan, comb. form

zoan
http://www.oed.com/dictionary/zoan_combform%3Ftab%3Dmeaning_and_use
First published 2010

# -zoancombining form

## Factsheet

### Where does the combining form -zoan come from?

-zoan is a borrowing from Greek, combined with an English element.

Etymons: Greek ζῷον, ‑an suffix.

### Nearby entries

1. zizzing, adj. 1919–
2. zizzy, adj. 1843–
3. Zlid, n. 1616–1785
4. Z'life, n. 1689
5. Z line, n. 1916–
6. Z-list, n. & adj. 1979–
7. Z-lister, n. 1999–
8. zloty, n. 1915–
9. Zn, n. 1814–
10. -zoa, comb. form
11. -zoan, comb. form
12. zoantharian, adj. & n. 1887–
13. zoanthid, n. 1870–
14. zoanthidan, adj. 1888–
15. zoanthodeme, n. 1877–
16. zoanthoid, adj. 1854–
17. zoanthropic, adj. 1891–
18. zoanthropy, n. 1856–
19. zoanthus, n. 1841–
20. zoarial, adj. 1896–
21. zoarium, n. 1880–

## Etymology

### Summary

A borrowing from Greek, combined with an English element.
Etymons: Greek ζῷον, ‑an suffix.
< ancient Greek ζῷον animal (see zoon n.) + ‑an suffix. Compare ‑zoa comb. form, ‑zoon comb. form, ‑zoic comb. form2…
< ancient Greek ζῷον animal (see zoon n.) + ‑an suffix. Compare ‑zoa comb. form, ‑zoon comb. form, ‑zoic comb. form2.

### Notes

Formations are found from the mid 19th cent. In sense 1 after scientific Latin formations in ‑zoa ‑zoa comb. form.

## Meaning & use

1. 1.
   Forming nouns denoting individual members of taxonomic groups with names in ‑zoa, and adjectives relating to such groups, as polyzoan n. & adj., protozoan n. & adj., sporozoan n. & adj., etc. Cf. ‑zoon comb. form 1.
   animals taxonomy
2. 2.
   Forming nouns denoting individual animals having the type of body, behaviour, etc., specified by the first element, and adjectives designating such animals, as epizoan adj., microzoan n. & adj., etc. Cf. ‑zoon comb. form 2.
   animals

## Pronunciation

Primary stress is attracted to the first syllable of this combining form and vowels may be reduced accordingly.

## Compounds & derived words

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1. anthozoan, adj. & n. 1844–
   Of or relating to the class Anthozoa of marine…

1. polyzoan, n. & adj. 1856–
   An animal of the former division Polyzoa; a bryozoan.

1. mycetozoan, n. & adj. 1881–
   A slime mould; spec. a member of the taxon Mycetozoa.

1. sporozoan, n. & adj. 1888–
   An organism of the class or phylum Sporozoa.

1. microzoan, n. & adj. 1890–
   A microscopic animal organism; = microzoon, n.

1. monozoan, adj. 1890
   = monozoic, adj. 1.

1. parazoan, adj. & n. 1890–
   Of or relating to the division Parazoa or…

1. cubozoan, n. & adj. 1984–
   A member of the cnidarian class Cubozoa, which…

1. haematozoan, n.
   = haematozoon, n.

1. hypozoan, adj.

-zoan, comb. form was first published in November 2010.

-zoan, comb. form was last modified in December 2024.