-on
Forming names of noble gases and certain nonmetal elements.
Suffix chemistry, natural sciences
- Forming names of noble gases and certain nonmetal elements.
- boron, silicon
Origin
Back-formation from carbon, first applied to boron and then to silicon.
Suffix mathematics, natural sciences
- Forming nouns denoting subatomic particles and quanta.
- photon, proton
Coordinate Terms: -ino
Origin
From -on in electron, reinforced by Ancient Greek neuter nouns and adjectives ending in -ον (-on).
Suffix biology, genetics
- Forming names of things considered as basic or fundamental units.
- codon, recon
Suffix morpheme
- Forms names for chemical compounds, often proprietary.
Origin
From the combining form of -one, as in sulfon-ic. Compare also -thion.