ambi-

a prefix occurring in loanwords from Latin, meaning “both” (ambiguous) and “around” (ambient); used in the formation of compound words:

ambitendency.

Origin

< Latin; akin to Greek amphí, Albanian mbë, Old Irish imb, imb-, Welsh, Old Breton am, am- (variant em-), Gaulish amb(i)- (see embassy), Old High German umbi (> German um), Old English ymb(e)-, Sanskrit abhí-tas around. Cf. amphi-

British Dictionary definitions for ambi-

ambi-

combining form

indicating both: ambidextrous, ambivalence, ambiversion

Word Origin

from Latin: round, on both sides, both, from ambo both; compare amphi-

Word Origin and History for ambi-

word-forming element meaning "both, on both sides," from Latin ambi- "around, round about," from PIE *ambhi "around" (cf. Greek amphi "round about," Sanskrit abhitah "on both sides," Avestan aibi, Old English ymbe, German um, Gaulish ambi-, Old Irish imb- "round about, about," Old Church Slavonic oba, Lithuanian abu "both"). The PIE root probably is an ablative plural of *ant-bhi "from both sides," from *ant- "front, forehead" (see ante).

ambi- in Medicine

ambi- or ambo-
pref.
Both: ambilateral.