Question

Fill in the blank with the correct option:
In the word ‘ambidextrous’ the prefix ‘ambi’ stands for ____________.
a) half
b) many
c) both
d) one

Answer 1

Hint: A prefix is a word that we add at the beginning of another word to give it a new meaning. A prefix can be Latin or Greek in origin.

Complete answer:
A commonly used term, ‘ambidextrous’ refers to a person who is adept in using both his right and left hands for doing something at ease. The word is a combination of the root word and its prefix. ‘Ambi’ is the prefix to the root word ‘dextrous.’
‘Ambi’ is (a) Latin word that means both or round. As discussed, the word denotes one’s ability to work with both the hands. Thus, it indicates that ‘ambi’ stands for ‘both’ as given in option (c). Option (c), therefore, becomes the right answer.
The other options are incorrect because:
‘Semi’ in option (a) is the prefix we generally use to mention ‘half’. Example: semicircle.
Option (b) is wrong as ‘many’ is represented with ‘multi’ as its prefix. Example: multitasking.
Similarly, we use ‘uni’ or ‘mono’ to refer to the usage of ‘one’ in a word. Thus, option d is also proved wrong.
Hence option (c) is correct.

Note: One must not confuse the usage of a prefix and suffix. While a prefix is a word that we add at the beginning of a word; the suffix is what goes at the end of a word, as in examination.