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Rhod- is a combining form used like a prefix meaning “rose” or “rose-colored,” i.e., “pink” or “red.”  It is used in some medical and scientific terms, including in biology and geology.

Rhod- comes from the Greek ����ó��Dz� meaning “r�Dz���.”If this Greek root sounds familiar, it might be because it helps form the word rhododendron, a kind of shrub with pink and other colored flowers. Rhododendron literally translates to “rose tree” in Greek. And while its ultimate origin is unclear, some scholars have connected the name of the Greek island of Rhodes, whose ancient harbor was home to the wondrous bronze statue known as Colossus of Rhodes, to the Greek ����ó��Dz�, “r�Dz���.”

Rhod- is a variant of rhodo-, which loses its –o– when combined with words or word elements beginning with vowels.

Want to know more? Read our �������t¶��s That Use rhodo- article.

An example of a scientific term that features rhod- (via New Latin) as a combining form is rhodium, a silvery-white metallic element of the platinum family, forming salts that give rose-colored solutions.

The first part of the word, rhod-, means “rose,” as in the color. The second part, -ium, is a suffix from Latin that, among other things, is used to name metallic elements. Rhodium is so named for the rose-colored compounds it can form.

What are some words that use (or are related to) the combining form rhod-?

• rhodamine
• rhodic
• rhodinal
• rhodopsin

What are some other forms that rhod- may be commonly confused with?

• rhiz-
• rhin-

Rhodamine is a kind of dye. Based on the meaning of rhod-, what color is this dye?