superstructure
/ˈsuːpəstˌɹʌktʃə/SOO-pur-struhk-chur
/ˈsupɚstˌɹʌktʃɚ/SOO-pur-struhk-chur
Meaninga build above
Common meaning: the part built on top of a base
- superover, above
- structto heap up; to buildLewis & Short, Latin Dictionary (1879), p. 1767 · scan
- urenoun ending: result or process
‘over, above’ + ‘to heap up’ → superstructure
Journey through time
- Latinstruō, strūxī, strūctum‘to heap up’
- Frenchstructure
- Englishsuperstructure‘the part built on top of a base’ · today
super- also in: supervenesupervisesuperficialsuperfluoussuperintend
struct also in: instructordeconstructreconstructinfrastructurereconstruction
Sources & notes
Meaning: “Meaning” is the sense that emerges from the word’s roots; “Common meaning” is today’s everyday sense. Both written by us.
Pronunciation
- UK IPA: converted from the US form by rule (unchecked). Respelling: generated.
- No UK recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-GB voice.
- US IPA: CMUdict (BSD-2), converted to IPA by rule. Respelling: generated.
- No US recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-US voice.
Origin: Built on Latin struō ‘to heap up; to build’.
Did you know: our wording, based on Lewis & Short, Latin Dictionary (1879), entry struō, p. 1767 · dictionary scan
Roots
- struō, strūxī, strūctum Latin “to heap up; to build”
Related words
Building blocks are an automatic split · open in app