-phony


-phony

suff. Sound: telephony.
[Greek -phōniā, from phōnē, sound, voice; see bhā- in Indo-European roots.]

-phony

n combining form indicating a specified type of sound: cacophony; euphony. [from Greek -phōnia, from phōnē sound] -phonic adj combining form

pho•ny

or pho•ney

(ˈfoʊ ni)

adj. -ni•er, -ni•est, adj. 1. not real or genuine; fake: phony diamonds. 2. false or deceiving: a phony excuse. 3. affected or pretentious. n. 4. something phony; a counterfeit or fake. 5. an insincere or affected person. v.t. 6. to falsify (often fol. by up): to phony up a document. [1895–1900; perhaps alter. and resp. of fawney (slang) finger ring (< Irish fáinne), taken to mean “false” in the phrase fawney rig a confidence game in which a brass ring is sold as a gold one] pho′ni•ly, adv. pho′ni•ness, n.

-phony

a combining form used in the formation of abstract nouns corresponding to nouns ending in -phone: telephony. [< Greek -phōnia; see -phone, -y3]