per-

per- Word Origin

1. a prefix meaning “through,” “thoroughly,” “utterly,” “very”: pervert; pervade; perfect.
2. Chemistry. a prefix used in the names of inorganic acids and their salts that possess the maximum amount of the element specified in the base word: percarbonic (H2C2O5), permanganic (HMnO4), persulfuric (H2S2O8), acids; potassium permanganate (KMnO4); potassium persulfate (K2S2O8).

Origin of per- Latin, combining form of per per, and used as an intensive British Dictionary definitions for per- per- prefix

1. throughpervade
2. throughoutperennial
3. away, beyondperfidy
4. completely, throughlyperplex
5. (intensifier)perfervid
6. indicating that a chemical compound contains a high proportion of a specified elementperoxide; perchloride
7. indicating that a chemical element is in a higher than usual state of oxidationpermanganate; perchlorate
8. (not in technical usage) a variant of peroxy- persulphuric acid

Word Origin for per- from Latin per through Word Origin and History for per-

word-forming element meaning “through, throughout; thoroughly; entirely, utterly,” from Latin preposition per (see per (prep.)).

per- in Medicine per- pref.

1. Thoroughly; completely; intensely:perfuse.
2. Containing an element in its highest oxidation state:perchloric acid.
3. Containing a large or the largest possible proportion of an element:peroxide.
4. Containing the peroxy group:peracid.