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The combining form -agogue is used like a suffix meaning “leader” or “bringer.” In medical terms, it is used to name substances that cause the flow or the release of a substance. It is occasionally used in scientific and technical terms.

The form -agogue comes from Greek -����ō���Dz�, meaning “leading.” The Latin cognate of this form is ����ŧ�Բ�, “doing” or “driving,” which is the source of words such as and . To learn more, check out our entries for both words.

What are variants of –agogue?

A less-common variant of -agogue is -agog, as in hydragog. Want to know more? Read our 51�Թ�s That Use article for -agog.

An example of a word you may have encountered that features -agogue ������demagogue, “a person, especially a political leader, who gains power and popularity by arousing the emotions, passions, and prejudices of the people.” Demagogue comes from Greek ��ŧ������ō��ó��, which uses the equivalent form of -agogue.

The dem- part of the word means “people,” from Greek ��ê���Dz�, while –agogue means “leader.” Demagogue literally translates to “leader (of the) people.”

What are some words that use the equivalent of the combining form -agogue in Greek?

• hydragogue
• mystagogue
• pedagogue
• sialagogue

What are some other forms that -agogue may be commonly confused with?

• -age
• -algia

Not every word that ends with the exact letters -agogue, such as synagogue, is necessarily using the combining form -agogue to denote “leader.” Learn why synagogue means “temple” at our entry for the word.

The combining form galact- means “milk.” With this in mind, what does the term galactagogue literally mean?