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Flav- is a combining form used like a prefix typically meaning “yellow.” When used in biochemistry terms, flavo- means “flavin,” a pale yellow chemical compound found in a variety of biological substances, like vitamins.

Flav- comes from Latin �ڱ��屹�ܲ�, meaning “yellow” or “blonde.” The Greek equivalent of �ڱ��屹�ܲ� is �油�Գٳ�ó��, “yellow.” To learn more, read our 51�Թ�s That Use articles on xanth- and xantho-.

What are variants of flav-?

Flav- is a variant of flavo-, which loses its -o- when combined with words or word elements beginning with vowels. Want to know more? Read our 51�Թ�s That Use flavo- article.

An example of a scientific term that features the form flav- is flavine, a term used in chemistry to mean “acriflavine hydrochloride,” a chemical compound.

The form flav- means “yellow,” while the suffix -ine has a variety of meanings, including denoting a chemical compound. Flavine literally means “yellow chemical compound.”

What are some words that use the combining form flav-?

• flavescent (using the equivalent form of flav- in Latin)
• flavin mononucleotide
• flavivirus
• flavone (using the equivalent form of flav- in German)
• flavonoid (using the equivalent form of flav- in German)

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

• flor-
• fluo-
• fluor-
• fluoro-
• fluvio-

Not every word that begins with the exact letters flav-, such as flavor, is necessarily using the combining form flav- to denote “yellow.” Learn why flavor means “taste” at our entry for the word.

The chemical compounds known as flavonoids are frequently found in plants. Keeping in mind the meaning of flav-, what color are these compounds in nature?