-plex

The combining form –plex is used like a suffix meaning “having parts or units.” It is often used in technical terms, especially to name buildings.

The form –plex comes from Latin ������������, meaning “to fold” or “to bend.” When –plex is used to denote a kind of building, the form –plex comes in part from a shortened form of complex, in the sense of “an intricate or complicated association or assemblage of related things, parts, units, etc.” Complex comes from Latin complexus meaning “inclusion, grasping, embrace.”

One example of a technical term that uses the form –plex is googolplex, “a number that is equal to 1 followed by a googol of zeros and expressed as 10googol.”

The word googol means “a number that is equal to 1 followed by 100 zeros.” As we know, –plex means “having parts or units.” Googolplex literally translates to “having 10googol parts.”

������ are some words that use the combining form –plex?

• diplex
• duplex (using the equivalent form of –plex in Latin)
• Metroplex
• multiplex (using the equivalent form of –plex in Latin)
• simplex (using the equivalent form of –plex in Latin)
• triplex (using the equivalent form of –plex in Latin)

������ are some other forms that –plex may be commonly confused with?

• -pexy
• -plegia
• -plegic

The combining form tri– means “three.” With this in mind, what does triplex literally mean?