Before a vowel xer-.
Dry.
Greek xēros, dry.
Xerography is a dry copying process, to which the trade name Xerox refers; a xerophyte is a plant which needs very little water; a xeriscape is a style of landscape design requiring little or no irrigation or other maintenance, used in arid regions; a xeroderma is one of various diseases involving extreme dryness of the skin; the adjective xeric means very dry.
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