ex-

I

1) aff. a prefix occurring orig. in loanwords from Latin, meaning “out, out of, away, forth” (egregious; exclude; exhale; exit; export; extract), used also to signify that the action of a base verb has been carried to a conclusive point (effect; effete; erase; exaggerate; excite; exhaust), esp. in causative formations (evacuate; effeminate; exhilarate; expurgate) or privative formations, including adjectives (emasculate; enervate; exonerate; exsanguine)

Also, before consonants other than c, f, p, q, s, and tin Latin words,e- ef-

2) aff. a prefix meaning “former,”“formerly having been”:

ex-member; ex-wife[/ex]

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Etymology: < L, prefixal use of ex, ē (prep.) out (of), from, beyond; (def. 2) < LL, as in exconsul, based on Lexin the sense “from being, having formerly held (an office)” II

ex-

aff.

var. of exo- before a vowel:

exarch[/ex]

III

ex-

aff. a prefix similar in meaning to ex-, occurring orig. in loanwords from Greek: exegesis

Also, before a consonant,ec-

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Etymology: < Gk, prefixal use of ex, ek, out (of), from, beyond; cf. ex- I