cage-like
UK[ˈkeɪdʒlaɪk]US[ˈkeɪdʒˌlaɪk]
adj
Resembling or characteristic of a cage in appearance or structure.
Morpheme Breakdown
cage
like
cage
noun
like
adjective-forming suffix
Etymology
The word is a modern English compound adjective formed by directly combining the noun "cage" with the suffix "-like". "Cage" entered English via Old French from the Latin cavea, meaning an enclosure or hollow space, which itself may derive from the Proto-Indo-European root keue- meaning "to swell" or "vault, hole". The suffix "-like" has Germanic origins, from Old English līc (body, form), and is used productively to form adjectives indicating resemblance. The compound's logic is transparent: it literally means "having the form or characteristics of a cage," directly describing something that is enclosed, barred, or confining in nature.
Analysis
Structure: cage (noun) + like (adjective-forming suffix)
- cage: From Old French cage, from Latin cavea (hollow, cavity, coop, cage). Functions as the core noun root.
- like: From Old English līc (body, form, like). Functions as a suffix meaning "having the form or characteristics of".
Examples
The intricate, cage-like structure of the sculpture was both beautiful and imposing.
She felt a cage-like restriction in the overly formal office environment.
The old-fashioned elevator had a cage-like door that clanked shut.