Definitions

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • prefix slang Super; really; mega-.

Etymologies

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From German über ("above, over")

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Examples

  • And words which previously had sufficient power in themselves are attracting prefixes such as uber- or mega- in order to re-energise them, she adds.

    BBC News - Home 2011

Comments

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  • (sometimes spelled ueber, uber, the former being a correct form in German just like über) (German pronunciation: ˈyːbɐ ( listen)) comes from the German language. It is a cognate of both Latin super and Greek ὑπέρ (hyper), as well as English over and above. It is also sometimes used as a hyphenated prefix in informal English, usually for emphasis.

    In German, über is used as a prefix as well as a word in its own right. Both uses indicate a state or action involving increased elevation or quantity in the physical sense, or superiority or excess in the abstract.

    The crossover of the term "über" from German into English goes back to the work of German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche. In 1883, Nietzsche coined the term "Übermensch" to describe the higher state to which he felt men might aspire.

    November 10, 2010