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Dictionary

Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

-ee en · X · etymology 1

Etymology

From Middle English -ee, -ē, from Anglo-Norman and Old French -ee, French -é, -ée, endings forming past participle of verbs ending in -er. Doublet of -ate. More distantly related to inherited English -ed.

Meanings

  1. (morpheme) Added to transitive verbs to form words meaning a person or thing that is the object of that verb (i.e., to whom or to which an action is done).
    • train + -ee → trainee
    • interview + -ee → interviewee
    • employ + -ee → employee
    • examine + -ee → examinee
  2. (morpheme, uncommon) Added to intransitive verbs to form words meaning a person or thing that is the subject of that verb (that is, who or that does an action).
    • stand + -ee → standee
    • post + -ee → postee
    • respond + -ee → respondee
    • absent + -ee → absentee
  3. (morpheme) Used to form words meaning a person who is the other party to a contract or other transaction involving a person described by the corresponding word ending in -or.
    • mortgage + -ee → mortgagee
    • legate + -ee → legatee
    • assign + -ee → assignee
  4. (morpheme) Used to form words meaning a person who has undergone a particular medical procedure.
    • laryngectomy + -ee → laryngectomee
  5. (morpheme) Irregularly added to nouns to mean a person somehow associated with the object denoted by the noun.
    • venereal + -ee → venerealee
    • barge + -ee → bargee
    • tender + -ee → tenderee

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
-ees Number=Plur lexicographic

Antonyms

-er · -or

Synonyms

-ed

Translations (25)

cy -ai (forming words meaning a person to whom or a thing to which an action is done) · it -tore (forming words meaning a person who or a thing that does an action, especially where a passive sense of the verb is implied) · ga -aí (forming words meaning a person who or a thing that does an action, especially where a passive sense of the verb is implied) · sq -të (forming words meaning a person to whom or a thing to which an action is done) · de -en (forming words meaning a person to whom or a thing to which an action is done) · it -ata (forming words meaning a person to whom or a thing to which an action is done) · es -ada (forming words meaning a person to whom or a thing to which an action is done) · de -e (forming words meaning a person to whom or a thing to which an action is done) · ja(forming words meaning a person to whom or a thing to which an action is done) · de -e (forming words meaning a person to whom or a thing to which an action is done) · de -es (forming words meaning a person to whom or a thing to which an action is done) · fi -tu (forming words meaning a person to whom or a thing to which an action is done) · ga -aí (forming words meaning a person to whom or a thing to which an action is done) · fr -ée (forming words meaning a person to whom or a thing to which an action is done) · sq -atë (forming words meaning a person to whom or a thing to which an action is done) · es -ado (forming words meaning a person to whom or a thing to which an action is done) · it -ato (forming words meaning a person to whom or a thing to which an action is done) · io -ario (forming words meaning a person to whom or a thing to which an action is done) · eo -ato (forming words meaning a person to whom or a thing to which an action is done) · ga -aí (law: forming words meaning a person who is the other party to a contract) · fr -eur (forming words meaning a person who or a thing that does an action, especially where a passive sense of the verb is implied) · fr(forming words meaning a person to whom or a thing to which an action is done) · fr -euse (forming words meaning a person who or a thing that does an action, especially where a passive sense of the verb is implied) · it -trice (forming words meaning a person who or a thing that does an action, especially where a passive sense of the verb is implied) · io -ato (forming words meaning a person to whom or a thing to which an action is done)

Source: en.wiktionary, “-ee” (suffix), dump 20260902, contributors via the page history. Text licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

-ee en · X · etymology 2

Etymology

Perhaps a variation on -ie and -y

Meanings

  1. (morpheme) Used to form diminutives.
    • goat + -ee → goatee
    • settle + -ee → settee
    • boot + -ee → bootee

Antonyms

grand (antonym(s) of “diminutive affix”) · ultra- (antonym(s) of “diminutive affix”) · great (antonym(s) of “diminutive affix”) · macro- (antonym(s) of “diminutive affix”) · supra- (antonym(s) of “diminutive affix”) · over- (antonym(s) of “diminutive affix”) · uber- (antonym(s) of “diminutive affix”) · giga- (antonym(s) of “diminutive affix”) · hyper- (antonym(s) of “diminutive affix”) · mega- (antonym(s) of “diminutive affix”) · -zilla (antonym(s) of “diminutive affix”) · arch- (antonym(s) of “diminutive affix”) · super- (antonym(s) of “diminutive affix”)

Synonyms

-let · -le · micro- · -icle · -el · -cule · -ule · nano- · -et · -cule · mini- · nano- · -icle · -ling · mini- · micro- · -ole · -y · -kin · -ule · -ette · -ie · -ole · -ette · -y

Translations (4)

it -etto (used to form diminutives) · it -ino (used to form diminutives) · hu -cske (used to form diminutives) · hu -cska (used to form diminutives)

Source: en.wiktionary, “-ee” (suffix), dump 20260902, contributors via the page history. Text licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

-ee en · X · etymology 3

Etymology

Most likely derived from broken English used by Chinese immigrants to America during the 17th to 19th centuries. The -ee was added by those speakers for final consonants in English words that do not exist in Cantonese phonology.

Meanings

  1. (derogatory, morpheme, offensive) Used in mimicking English as stereotypically spoken by the Chinese.
    • A Chinaman had a toothache, and phoned a dentist for an appointment. Doctor: "Two-thirty all right?" Chinaman: "Yes, tooth hurtee, all light. What time I come?" 1938, Minnesota Journal of Education, volume 19, page 52:
    • "No stealee. You no thinkee? Chinaman no thinkee stealee!" he said, earnestly. 1897, The Outlook, volume 56, page 1044:

Relateds

no tickee, no washee

Source: en.wiktionary, “-ee” (suffix), dump 20260902, contributors via the page history. Text licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

-ee en · X · etymology 4

Etymology

Meanings

  1. (alt-of, alternative, morpheme) Alternative form of -y (infinitive suffix).
    alt of -y