The prefix Di- denotes which meaning?

The prefix Di- denotes which meaning?

• A. Three
• B. Before
• C. Within
• D. Twice

Answer: (D)

Prefixes in medical terms carry meaning about quantity. The prefix di- denotes two or double. You can see this in words like dioxide, where two oxygen atoms are present, or diatomic, describing a molecule made of two atoms. Because di- signals two, it corresponds to the idea of twice. The other potential meanings would come from different prefixes: three is tri-, before is pre-, and within is intra-. So the meaning conveyed by di- is twice.

Prefixes in medical terms carry meaning about quantity. The prefix di- denotes two or double. You can see this in words like dioxide, where two oxygen atoms are present, or diatomic, describing a molecule made of two atoms. Because di- signals two, it corresponds to the idea of twice. The other potential meanings would come from different prefixes: three is tri-, before is pre-, and within is intra-. So the meaning conveyed by di- is twice.