[para-] or par- prefix [ME, fr. MF, fr. L, fr. Gk, fr. para; akin to Gk pro before--more at for] 1: beside: alongside of: beyond: aside from "parathyroid" "parenteral"
2. a: closely related to "paraldehyde" b: involving substitution at or characterized by two opposite positions in the benzene ring that are separated by two carbon atoms "paradichlorobenzene" 3 a: faulty: abnormal "paresthesia" b: associated in a subsidiary or accessory capacity "paramedical" c: closely resembling: almost "paratyphoid"
[2]para- comb form [parachute]: parachute "paratrooper"