mega-

See also: MEGA, Mega, mega, méga, mëga, mêga, mêgâ, and méga-

Translingual

Etymology

From Ancient Greek μέγας (mégas, “great, large, mighty”).

Prefix

mega-

1. Used with taxon names to form other taxon names, usually for a morphologically similar taxon differing only in size

Derived terms

Translingual terms prefixed with mega-

Meganthropus

Megabyas

Megacephala

Megaceros

Megaceryle

Megachiroptera

Megacrex

Megadyptes

Megalembidium

Meganola

Megapiranha

Megascops

Megatherium

Megatibicen

Megaviricetes

Megaviridae

Megavirus

Megazosterops

English

English Wikipedia has an article on:

mega-

Wikipedia

Etymology

From Ancient Greek μέγας (mégas, “great, large, mighty”), from Proto-Indo-European *meǵh₂s (“great”). Cognate with Latin magnus, Sanskrit मह (maha, “great, massive, large-scale, epic”), and with Germanic words: Gothic 𐌼𐌹𐌺𐌹𐌻𐍃 (mikils), Old English micel, Middle English muchel, English much, Old High German mihhil, Old Norse mikill, Danish meget.

Pronunciation

• enPR: mĕgʹə, IPA^(key): /ˈmɛɡə/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• also IPA^(key): /ˈmeɪɡə/

Prefix

SI prefix

M	Previous:	kilo-
	Next:	giga-

mega-

1. (originally) Very large, great.
3. In the International System of Units and other metric systems of units, multiplying the unit to which it is attached by one million (10⁶).

   Alternative form: M- (symbol)

   Near-synonyms: million, M

4. (computing) Multiplying the unit to which it is attached by 2²⁰ (= 1,048,576, the binary number closest to a million). Computing symbol: Mi.
5. (computing, marketing) Multiplying the unit to which it is attached by 2¹⁰ × 10³ (= 1,024,000, the binary round number closest to a million).
6. (slang, augmentative) Really, very, uber-, super-.
   • 2014, Michael Griffo, Starfall (The Darkborn Legacy), New York, NY: Kensington Publishing Corporation, →ISBN, pages 93–94:

     What?! I'm not sure if I scream that out loud or if my inner voice bounces off the insides of my skull. Why is Archie once again meandering over to Team Nadine? Sounds like I'm not the only one who's mega-confused.

Usage notes

This section or entry lacks references or sources. Please help verify this information by adding appropriate citations. You can also discuss it at the Tea Room.

• Because the meaning "2²⁰" is in conflict with the meaning "one million" used with SI units, the alternative mebi- has been proposed and promulgated as an international standard, with Mi as its symbol.

Synonyms

• (very large): megalo-, (before a vowel) megal-
• (before a vowel) meg-
• (augmentative): super-, supra-, hyper-, ultra-, uber-, arch-, over-, giga-, -zilla, grand

Antonyms

• micro-

Derived terms

English terms prefixed with mega-

megalethoscope

mega-amp

megaampere

megampere

mega-annum

megaannum

megabacterial

megabacterium

megabad

megaband

megabank

megabar

megabarn

megabase

megabasepair

megabash

megabat

megabaud

megabenthic

megabenthos

megabid

megabill

megabillion

megabinary

megabiodiversity

megabit

megabitch

megabladder

MegaBLAST

megablock

megablockbuster

megaboob

megabook

megaboost

megabrand

megabreach

megabreccia

megabrew

megabrill

megabucks

megabudget

megabuilding

megabusiness

megabyte

megacaldera

megacalorie

megacandela

megacannon

megacap

megacapillary

megacarnivore

megacarrier

megacaryocyte

megacase

megacasino

megacast

megacasted

megacasting

megacatastrophic

megacelebrity

megacenter

megacentre

megacephalic

megacephaly

megachain

megachallenge

megachange

megachannel

megacharacter

megachurch

megacircle

megacity

megaclub

megacluster

megacoaster

megacoccus

megacollection

megacolon

megacolony

mega-colossal

megacommuter

megacompany

megacomplex

megaconference

megaconglomerate

megaconstellation

megaconstruction

megacool

megacorp

megacorporate

megacorporation

megacorpse

megacoulomb

megacryst

megacult

megacurie

megacycle

megacyclothem

megacyst

megadairy

megadalton

megadaraf

megadata

megadeal

megadealer

megadeath

megadebt

megadecibel

megadeformed

megadeletion

megademo

megaderm

megadestruction

megadeveloper

megadevelopment

megadisaster

megadiverse

megadiversity

megadollar

megadomain

megadome

megadonor

megadosage

megadose

megadouche

megadrought

megadude

megaduke

megadump

megaduodenum

megadyne

megaearthquake

megaenzyme

megaerg

megerg

megaesophagus

megaevent

megaevolution

megafactory

megafamous

megafan

megafarad

megafarm

megafauna

megafelid

megafestival

megafight

megafinance

megafire

megafirm

megafish

megaflare

megaflood

megaflop

megaflops

megaflora

megafoot

megaform

megafortune

megafossil

megafragment

megafraud

megafrugivore

megafrustule

megafund

megagallery

megagallon

megagame

megagamete

megagametocyte

megagametophyte

megagametophytic

megagauss

megagenome

megagenomic

megagenomics

megagift

megagnathous

megagon

megagram

megagroup

megagrowth

megahabitat

megahack

megahash

hebesphenomegacorona

megahenry

megaherb

megaherbivore

megaherbivorous

megahero

megahertz

megahex

megahistorical

megahistory

megahit

megahome

megahotel

megahurt

megahype

• mega
• megabar
• megabase
• megabit
• megabucks
• megabyte
• megacephalic, megacephalous, megacephaly
• Megacheiroptera
• megacity
• megacurie
• megacycle
• megadeath
• megadonor
• megadose
• megadyne
• megafarad
• megafauna
• megaflop
• megaflora
• megagamete
• megagauss
• megagram, megagramme
• megaherbivore
• megahertz
• megajoule
• megalith, megalithic
• megalitre, megaliter
• megalomania, megalomaniac
• megalomanic
• megametre, megameter
• megamind
• meganewton
• megapack
• megaparsec
• megaphone
• megapixel
• megapode
• megapolis
• megarad
• megascope
• megasporangium
• megaspore, megasporic
• megasporophyll
• megastar
• megastore
• megastorm
• megastructure
• megatechnology
• megathere, megatherian, Megatherium
• megaton
• megavertebrate
• megavitamin
• megavolt
• megawatt
• mega-wide
• mega world
• megohm

Related terms

• mega (adjective)
• much
• almagest

Translations

very large, great

Belarusian: мега- (mjeha-) Catalan: mega- (ca) Dutch: mega- (nl) Estonian: mega- (et) Finnish: mega- (fi), jätti- French: méga- (fr) Galician: mega- (gl) Georgian: მეგა- (mega-) Greek: μεγα- (el) (mega-) Hebrew: מֶגָה (méga), מֶגָ־ (méga-) Indonesian: maha- (id) Italian: mega- (it) Japanese: 超 (ja) (chō), 巨大 (ja) (kyodai) Norwegian: Bokmål: mega- (no) Nynorsk: mega- Portuguese: mega- (pt) Russian: ме́га- (ru) (méga-) Spanish: mega- (es)

multiplication factor one million

Belarusian: мега- (mjeha-) Catalan: mega- (ca) Chinese: Cantonese: 兆- (yue) (siu6) Mandarin: 兆- (zh) (zhào-) (mainland China), 百萬- / 百万- (zh) (bǎiwàn-) (Taiwan) Czech: mega- (cs) Danish: mega- Dutch: mega- (nl) Estonian: mega- (et) Finnish: mega- (fi) French: méga- (fr) Galician: mega- (gl) Georgian: მეგა- (mega-) German: mega- (de) Greek: μεγα- (el) (mega-) Hebrew: מֶגָה (méga), מֶגָ־ (méga-) Hungarian: mega- (hu) Ido: mega- Indonesian: mega- Italian: mega- (it) Japanese: メガ (ja) (mega) Korean: 메가- (mega-) Latvian: mega- Malay: mega- (ms) Polish: mega- (pl) Portuguese: mega- (pt) Romanian: mega- (ro) Russian: ме́га- (ru) (méga-) Slovak: mega- Slovene: mega- Spanish: mega- (es) Swedish: mega- (sv) Thai: เมกะ- (mee-ga) Turkish: mega- Vietnamese: mê-ga

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

Latin: (please verify) mega-

Anagrams

• game, mage

Czech

Etymology

Derived from Ancient Greek μέγας (mégas, “great, large, mighty”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [mɛɡa ]

Prefix

mega-

1. mega- (SI system)

Derived terms

Czech terms prefixed with mega-

megabajt

megabit

megabyte

megahertz

megajoule

megatuna

megawatt

Further reading

• “mega-”, in Kartotéka Novočeského lexikálního archivu (in Czech)
• “mega-”, in Slovník spisovného jazyka českého (in Czech), 1960–1971, 1989
• mega- in Slovník afixů užívaných v češtině, 2017

Danish

Etymology

From Ancient Greek μέγας (mégas, “great, large, mighty”).

Prefix

mega-

1. mega- (SI system)
2. (informal) very
   • 2014, Thomas Halling, Mia & Marcus, Lindhardt og Ringhof, →ISBN:

     Mia var jo megasød.

     Mia was really sweet.

   • 2015, Kjell Eriksson, Natravnen, Klim, →ISBN:

     Netop derfor, sagde Wolf, – netop fordi det er så stort, så fandens megastort.

     Precisely for that reason, Wolf said, - precisely because it is so large, so damn huge.

Synonyms

• herre-
• super-

Derived terms

Danish terms prefixed with mega-

megawatt

References

• “mega-” in Den Danske Ordbog

Dutch

Dutch Wikipedia has an article on:

mega (voorvoegsel)

Wikipedia ^nl

Etymology

From Ancient Greek μέγας (mégas, “great, large, mighty”), from Proto-Indo-European *meǵh₂s (“great”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈmeː.ɣaː/

• Audio:

  (file)

Prefix

mega-

1. mega-

Dutch terms prefixed with mega-

mega-ampère

megacandela

megadode

megafoon

megaseconde

megastal

megawatt

Finnish

Etymology

From Ancient Greek μέγας (mégas, “great, large, mighty”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈmeɡɑ-/, [ˈme̞ɡɑ̝-]

Prefix

mega-

1. mega-
2. (informal) super-, extremely

Derived terms

Finnish terms prefixed with mega-

megabitti

megaevoluutio

megahertsi

megahitti

megajoule

megaparsek

megapikseli

megatavu

megatonni

megatrendi

megatähti

megawatti

megawattitunti

See also

• kilo-
• giga-

Further reading

• “mega-”, in Kielitoimiston sanakirja [Dictionary of Contemporary Finnish]‎ (in Finnish) (online dictionary, continuously updated), Kotimaisten kielten keskuksen verkkojulkaisuja 35, Helsinki: Kotimaisten kielten tutkimuskeskus (Institute for the Languages of Finland), 2004–, retrieved 3 July 2023

German

Etymology

From Ancient Greek μέγας (mégas, “great, large, mighty”).

Pronunciation

• Audio:

  (file)

Prefix

mega-

1. mega-

Derived terms

German terms prefixed with mega-

Megabyte

Megafon

Megajoule

megakurz

Megatonne

Megawatt

Further reading

• “mega-” in Duden online
• “mega-” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache