para- 1. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition. 2000.

The American Heritage^® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition. 2000.

para–¹

VARIANT FORMS:	or par–
PREFIX:	1. Beside; near; alongside: parathyroid. 2. Beyond: paranormal. 3. Incorrect; abnormal: paresthesia. 4. Similar to; resembling: paratyphoid fever. 5. Subsidiary; assistant: paraprofessional. 6. Isomeric; polymeric: paraldehyde. 7. A diatomic molecule in which the nuclei have opposite spin directions: parahydrogen. 8. Of or relating to one of three possible isomers of a benzene ring with two attached chemical groups in which the carbon atoms with attached groups are separated by two unsubstituted carbon atoms: para-aminobenzoic acid.
ETYMOLOGY:	Greek, from para, beside. See per¹ in Appendix I.


The American Heritage^® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Copyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by the Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.