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Gymn- is a combining form used like a prefix meaning “naked,” “bare,” “exposed.” It is used in some scientific terms, especially in botany and zoology.

Gymn- comes from the Greek ���⳾��ó��, meaning “naked” and “bare.” This root is related to the word gymnasium (gym for short), which is ultimately from the Greek ���⳾��á���𾱲�, meaning “to train in the nude.” Let’s hear it for workout clothes, huh?

There are a number of other words that begin with gymn-, such as gymnast and gymnastics, that are related to the combining form gymn- but are not using those exact letters to mean “naked.”

Gymn- is a variant of gymno-, which loses its -o– when combined with words or word elements beginning with vowels.

Want to know more? Read our �y��vlogs That Use gymno- article.

An example of a term from botany that features the combining form gymn- is gymnanthous, also known as achlamydeous, referring to plants whose flowers do not have a calyx or corolla (no sepals or petals). Examples of gymanthous flowers are catkins.

The first part of the word, gymn-, means “naked.” The -anthous portion of the word is a combining form meaning “having flowers.” Gymnanthous literally translates to “having naked flowers.”

What are some words that use or are related to the combining form gymn-?

• Gymnadenia
• gymnaxony
• gymnite
• gymnotus

What are some other forms that gymn- may be commonly confused with?

• gyn-
• gyne-
• gyneco-
• gyno-
• gyr-
• gyro-

Gymnadenia is a genus of plants in the orchid family. Given that the -adenia part of the word means “gland” (see adeno–), what does Gymnadenia literally translate to?