-megalycomb. form
Primary stress is attracted to the first syllable of this combining form and vowels may be reduced accordingly; see e.g.
cardiomegaly n.Origin: A borrowing from French. Etymons: French -mégalie, acromégalie.
Etymology: < French -mégalie (in acromégalie acromegaly n.); compare -y suffix3.Attested in a small number of formations from the late 19th cent., earliest in acromegaly n., a loan < French. Combining with first elements ultimately of Greek origin. In a number of instances (as e.g. hepatomegaly n. at hepato- comb. form , splanchnomegaly n. at splanchno- comb. form ) a parallel formation in -megalia is recorded slightly earlier (compare -ia suffix1).
This is a new entry (OED Third Edition, June 2001; most recently modified version published online December 2018).
comb. form