ia

1. Iowa (approved especially for use with zip code).

1. Iowa.

1. a noun suffix having restricted application in various fields, as in names of diseases (malaria; anemia), place names (Italia; Romania), names of Roman feasts (Lupercalia), Latin or Latinizing plurals (Amphibia; insignia; Reptilia), and in other loanwords from Latin (militia).

1. in absentia.

abbreviation for

1. Iowa

suffix forming nouns

1. occurring in place namesAlbania; Columbia
2. occurring in names of diseases and pathological disorderspneumonia; aphasia
3. occurring in words denoting condition or qualityutopia
4. occurring in names of botanical generaacacia; poinsettia
5. occurring in names of zoological classesReptilia
6. occurring in collective nouns borrowed from Latinmarginalia; memorabilia; regalia

word-forming element in names of countries, diseases, flowers, from Latin and Greek -ia, which forms abstract nouns of feminine gender. In paraphernalia, Mammalia, etc. it represents the Latin and Greek plural suffix of nouns in -ium or -ion.

Chinese forms country names by adding guo “country” to the stressed syllable of the place name, hence Meiguo “America,” from mei, the stressed syllable of America (minus -r-, which does not exist in Chinese). Similarly Yingguo “England,” Faguo “France.” Continent names are similarly formed, with zhou “continent” (e.g. Meizhou “America (continent),” Feizhou “Africa,” Ouzhou “Europe”).

suff.

1. Disease; pathological or abnormal condition:anoxia.