blasto-

especially before a vowel, blast-

1. a combining form meaning “bud, sprout,” “embryo,” “formative cells or cell layer,” used in the formation of compound words.

   blastosphere.

blasto-

combining form

1. (in biology) indicating an embryo or bud or the process of budding

   blastoderm

Word History and Origins

Origin of blasto-¹

< Greek, combining form of blastós a bud, sprout

Word History and Origins

Origin of blasto-¹

from Greek blastos ; see _-blast

Example Sentences

Beneath it, Blasto Onyango, head preparator of the National Museums of Kenya, found a huge hominin molar.

From Science Magazine

Blasto, as it’s called familiarly, lives in the dirt there and few other places.

From New York Times

And yet the C.D.C. thought it was blasto.

From New York Times

Blasto was called Chicago fever for decades; it was thought to center around Lake Michgan.

From New York Times

Is there a Canadian solution when your northern dog gets blasto?

From New York Times

When To Use

What does blasto- mean?

The combining form blasto- is used like a prefix that literally means “bud, sprout.” It is often used in scientific terms, especially in anatomy and biology, to mean "embryo" or "formative cells or cell layer."The form blasto- comes from Greek blastós, meaning “bud” and “sprout.” The Latin translation of blastós is germen, “sprout” or “seed,” which is the source of germ, germane, and germinal. Find out more at our entry for each word.What are variants of blasto-?When combined with words or word elements that begin with a vowel, blasto- becomes blast-, as in blastoma. When used as a suffix, the combining form blasto- is -blast, as in ectoblast.