ac-variant of ad- (by assimilation) before c and qu, as in accede, acquire, etc.
ac- ⇨ see ad-
ac-
/æk/
prefix
variant spelling of AD- assimilated before c, k, and q (as in accept, acquit, and acquiesce).
同AD-（d在c,k,q 之前同化为c, 如 accept, acquit和acquiesce）。
▪ I.ac-, prefixassimilated form of L. ad- to, bef.c-(k-) and qu-, as in ac-cumulāre, ac-cēdĕre, ac-quiescĕre. Reduced in OFr. to a-, and so entered Eng. in 3–4. But in 4–5 the spelling ac- was artificially restored in Fr. in imitation of L., and in 4–5 this extended to Eng. as in ac-count, ac-quit, EE.a-cunte, a-cwite, a-quite. In all modern words from L., ac- is written, though a- only is pronounced. While the refashioning of the OFr. words was going on, ac- was ignorantly extended to some words having a-=OFr.an- en-:—in-, or es-:—ex-, as a(c)cloy, a(c)cumber, a(c)coup, EE.acloye, acumbre, acoupe, OFr.encloer, encombrer, encoulper= L. inculpare, and even to some words with a-=OE.a- or on-, as a(c)curse, a(c)know, a(c)knowledge.▪ II.ac-the earlier spelling of many words, which in consequence of the refashioning mentioned in the prec. are now spelt acc-, under which they will be found.
ac-/ak, unstressedək/prefix (rarely productive).Assim. form of Latin ad- before c (k) and qu. In Old French, Latin acc- was reduced to ac-, which appears in Middle English adoptions, but in later French, and hence in English, acc- was restored by Latinization, as account, acquit. Hence extended to some words of different origin, as accloy, accurse, acknowledge, acquaint.
ac-
prefix. the form of ad- before c, k, and q, as in accede, acknowledgment, acquaint.
ac.
acre or acres.
a.c. or a-c
alternating current (of electricity).
Ac (no period)
actinium (chemical element).
alto-cumulus (clouds).
AC (no periods)
U.S. Air Corps (before World War II).
alternating current.
A/C or a/c (no periods)
Commerce.
account.
account current.
A.C.
British. aircraftsman.
alternating current.
before Christ (Latin, ante Christum).
ac- — see ad-
ac- 1
Prefix
Relating to an oak, used in place names.
Etymology
From Old Englishāc (“oak”)
Usage notes
It is not part of the etymology of acorn.
ac- 2
(Received Pronunciation) IPA: /æk/, /ək/
(US) IPA: /æk/, /ək/
Prefix
rarely productive To; toward.
Etymology
Around 1500 the c was added to some versions of the a- prefix.
From Middle Englisha-, from Old Frencha-, from Latinad- (“to, toward”).
Usage notes
alternate form of ad-
Used when the root word started with a "c", "k", or a "q".