chamæ-
(kæmiː)
combining form of Gr. χαµαί on the ground, low, used in many technical and scientific terms, as chamæcephalic (-sɪˈfælɪk), -cephalous (-ˈsɛfələs), adjs., characterized by or exhibiting chamæcephaly; chamæcephaly (-ˈsɛfəlɪ) [Gr. κεϕαλή head], a formation or development of the human skull, in which the cephalic index is 70 or less; chamæconchic (-ˈkɒŋkɪk), -conchous (-ˈkɒŋkəs), adjs., characterized by or exhibiting chamæconchy; chamæconchy (-ˈkɒŋkɪ) [Gr. κόγχη conch], the condition of having a low form of the orbits, showing an orbital index of 80 or less; chamæcranial (-ˈkreɪnɪəl), a. [Gr. κρανίον skull], characterized by having a low skull, of a length-height index of 70 and less; ˈchamæphyte [ad. Da. kamæfyt, ch- (C. Raunkiær, 1904, in Bot. Tidsskrift XXVI. 11): see -phyte], a plant that bears its buds on or near the surface of the ground; chamæprosope (-ˈprɒsəʊp) [Gr. πρόσωπ-ον face], a human skull with low broad face; chamæprosopic (-prɒˈsəʊpɪk) a., characterized by chamæprosopy; chamæprosopy (-prɒˈsəʊpɪ), [Gr. πρόσωπ-ον face] the condition of having a low broad form of face.
| 1902 Biometrika Aug. 462 Are the brachycephalic races hypsicephalic and the dolichocephalic races chamaecephalic? |
| Ibid. 460 In the male brachycephaly is associated with hypsiconchic, in the female with the chamaeconchic character. |
| Ibid., A quite sensible association of platyrrhiny with chamaeconchy. |
| Ibid. 462 Brachycranial, stenocranial, and chamaecranial characters. |
| 1913 Jrnl. Ecol. I. 17 Chamæphytes include plants with their bud or shoot-apices perennating on the surface of the ground. 1916 B. D. Jackson Gloss. Bot. Terms (ed. 3) 71/2 Chamaephytes,..plants whose resting-buds are but slightly above the ground. 1952 P. W. Richards Tropical Rain Forest i. 10 The ground herbs of the rain forest are almost exclusively phanerophytes and chamaephytes. 1964 V. J. Chapman Coastal Veg. i. 9 Chamaephytes, perennating buds above soil surface to 25 cm, e.g. Creeping willow (Salix repens). |
| 1900 tr. Deniker's Races of Man 60 To separate skulls into brachy- or dolichofacial, or, as they are also called, chamæprosopes and leptoprosopes. |
| 1886 Buck's Handbk. Med. Sci. II. 23/2 Chamœprosopic [sic] is applied to a short, squat, thickset face. 1902 Biometrika Aug. 434 Chamaeprosopy. |