per-

Meanings

1. In verbs: denoting the sense "through", as in perforate.
2. In verbs: denoting the sense "thoroughly", as in perfect.
3. In verbs: denoting the sense "to destruction", as in pervert.
4. In adjectives and adverbs: denoting the sense "extremely", as in perfervid.
5. Forming nouns and adjectives denoting the maximum proportion of one element in a compound, as in peroxide.
6. Added to the name of an element in a polyatomic ion to denote the number of atoms of that element (usually four).

1. Denoting the sense "by" or "per", as in perchance or perhaps.

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *per- Proto-Italic *per Latin perbor. Proto-Indo-European *per-der. Proto-Italic *peri- Latin per-bor. English per- Borrowed from Latin per and per-.