before vowels gnath-, word-forming element meaning "jaw, mouth part, beak (of a bird)," from Greek gnathos "jaw," from PIE root *genu- (2) "jawbone, chin."
Entries linking to gnatho-
*genu- 2
Proto-Indo-European root, probably originally "jaw, jawbone," but also forming words for "chin, cheek." It forms all or part of: chin; Compsognathus; gnathic; gnatho-.
It is the hypothetical source of/evidence for its existence is provided by: Sanskrit hanuh "jaw," Avestan zanu- "chin;" Armenian cnawt "jawbone, cheek;" Lithuanian žándas "jawbone;" Greek genus "chin, lower jaw," geneion "chin;" Old Irish gin "mouth," Welsh gen "jawbone, chin;" Old English cin, "chin."
prognathous adj.
"having protruding jaws," 1836, from pro- + gnatho- "jaw" + -ous. Prognathic (1845) means the same. Related: Prognathism.