-ite

1 of 2

noun suffix (1)

1

a

: native : resident

Brooklynite

b

: descendant

Ephraimite

c

: adherent : follower

Jacobite

Puseyite

2

a(1)

: product

metabolite

(2)

: commercially manufactured product

ebonite

b

: -itol

mannite

3

[New Latin -ites, from Latin] : fossil

ammonite

4

: mineral

erythrite

: rock

anorthosite

5

[French, from Latin -ita, -ites] : segment or constituent part of a body or of a bodily part

somite

dendrite

-ite

2 of 2

noun suffix (2)

: salt or ester of an acid with a name ending in -ous

nitrite

Word History

Etymology

Noun suffix (1)

from Latin -ita, -ites, from Greek -itēs

Noun suffix (2)

French, alteration of -ate -ate, from New Latin -atum

Kids Definition

-ite

noun suffix

ˌīt

1

a

: one who is from or lives in a (specified) area

suburbanite

New Jerseyite

b

: descendant

Israelite

2

: product

3

: fossil

ammonite

4

: mineral

halite

: rock

quartzite

Etymology

Noun suffix

derived from Greek -itēs (noun and adjective suffix)