Nearby & related entries: 1  petrol tank. 2  petrol-electric. 3  petrolatum. 4  petrolatum gauze. 5  petroleomics. 6  petroleum coke. 7  petroleum ether. 8  petroleum future. 9  petroleum geologist. 10  petroleum geology.
a combining form meaning âeating, devouring,â used in the formation of compound words: phagocyte. Compare -phage, -phagous, -phagy. Origin of phago-.
word-forming element meaning after, from Latin post behind, after, afterward, from *pos-ti (cf. Arcadian pos, Doric poti toward, to, near, close by; Old Church Slavonic po behind, after, pozdu late; Lithuanian pas at, by), from PIE *apo-(cf. Greek apo from, Latin ab away from see apo-).