Root Words & Prefixes: Quick Reference |
Link | Root word | Meanings | Origin | Examples and Definitions |
a/n | not, without | Greek | abyss - without bottom; achromatic - without color; anhydrous - without water | |
a | on | Latin | afire - on fire; ashore - on the shore; aside - on the side | |
a, ab/s |
from, away, off | Latin | abduct - carry away by force; abnormal - away from normal, not normal; absent - away, not present; aversion - the act of turning away from; abbreviate: to shorten. | |
a/c/d | to, toward, near | Latin |
accelerate - to increase the speed of; accessible - easily entered, approached, or obtained; admittance - allowing into; |
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acro | top, height, tip, beginning | Greek |
acrobat - a "high walker"; acronym - a word formed from the first (capital) letters of a word; acrophobia - fear of height |
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act | do | Latin | activity - something that a person does; react - to do something in response; interaction - communication between two or more things | |
aer/o | air | Greek | aerate - to let air reach something; aerial - relating to the air; aerospace - the air space | |
agr/i/o | farming | Latin Greek |
agriculture - management of the land, agribusiness - making money by utilizing land; agrarian - relating to the management of land | |
alg/o | pain | Latin | neuralgia - pain caused by a nerve; analgesic - a drug that makes one pain free; nostalgia - aching for the familiar | |
ambi, amphi | both, on both sides, around | Latin | ambidextrous - able to use both hands equally; ambiguous - having more than one meaning; ambivalence - conflicting or opposite feelings toward a person or thing | |
ambul | walk, move | Latin | amble - to walk in a slow, relaxed way; ambulant - walking or moving around; ambulance - a vehicle that moves a patient | |
ami/o | love | Latin | amiable - friendly, pleasant, lovable; amity - friendly and peaceful relations; amorous - showing romantic love | |
ana | up, back, against, again, throughout |
Greek | analysis - a close examination of something; anatomy - the structure of something as visible when cut up for analysis; anachronism - not being in the right place in time | |
andr/o | man, male | Greek | androgynous - being both male and female; android - resembling a human; misandry - hatred towards men | |
anim | life, spirit | Latin | animal - a living organism; animate - to make alive; equanimity - of balanced spirit | |
ann/enn | year | Latin | anniversary - a date observed once a year; annual - happening once a year; millennium - 1,000 years | |
ante | before, in front | Latin | antecede - to come before something in time; antemeridian - before noon; anteroom- a small room before the main room | |
anth/o | flower | Greek | chrysanthemum and amaranth - names of flowers; anthology - a collection of treasured writings; anthozoan - half plant, half animal, like anemones and corals. | |
anthrop/o | human | Greek | anthropology - the study of mankind; anthropomorphism - giving human form to non-human things; philanthropy - the love to mankind (expressed through good deeds) | |
anti | against, opposite of | Greek | antibody - a substance that destroys micro-organisms; antiseptic - preventing infection; antisocial - opposing social norm | |
apo, apho | away, off, separate | Greek | aphorism - a short expression of a general truth; apology - an explicit expression of regret, apostrophe - a small dash used in place of an omitted letter | |
aqu/a | water | Latin | aquarium - a water container for fish; aquatic- relating to water; aqueduct - a pipeline for water | |
arbor | tree | Latin | arborist - someone working with trees; arbor - a shady area formed by trees; arborous - having many trees | |
arch/i |
chief, most important, rule | Greek | archbishop - the highest ranking bishop; archenemy - chief or worst enemy; matriarch - a female who rules a group; monarch - a king or queen | |
arch/a/i | primitive, ancient | Greek | archaeology - the study of ancient cultures; archaic - belonging to an earlier period; archive - a collection of historical materials | |
arthr/o | joint | Latin Greek |
arthroscope - a tool to see inside a joint; arthritis - inflammation of a joint; arthropod - invertebrates with jointed legs, like spiders, crustaceans, insects | |
art | skill | Latin | artifact - object made by a person's skill; artisan - a person skilled in a craft; artist - a person who creates skillfully | |
astro, aster |
star, stars, outer space | Greek | astronaut - a person traveling to the stars; astronomer - someone who studies the stars; asterisk - a star-shaped sign used as a reference tool | |
aud/i/io | hear | Latin | audible - loud enough to be heard; audience - people who listen to a program; audiovisual - relating to sound and vision | |
auto | self, same, one | Greek | autocrat - a person who governs with absolute power; autograph - a person's own signature; automatic - moving by itself | |
avi/a | bird | Latin | aviary - a large enclosure for birds; aviatrix - a female airplane pilot; aviation - the art of designing or operating aircraft | |
bar/o | pressure, weight | Greek | baric - pertaining to pressure, esp. of the atmosphere; milliard - metric unit, equal to 1/1000th of a bar; baryon - heavy elementary particle | |
bell/i | war | Latin | bellicose - warlike; belligerent - hostile, ready to fight; rebel - person who opposes and fights | |
bene | good, well | Latin | benefactor - person who gives money to a cause; beneficial - producing a good effect; benevolent - showing kindness or goodwill | |
bi/n | two, twice, once in every two | Latin | biannual - happening twice a year; binoculars - optical device with two lenses; bilateral - of or involving two sides | |
bibli/o | book | Greek | bibliography - a list of books used as sources; bibliomania - an extreme love of books; bibliophile - a person who loves books | |
bio | life, living matter | Greek | biography- a life story written by another person; biology - the science of life; biosphere - Earth's surface inhabited by living things | |
blast/o | cell, primitive, immature cell | Greek | blastula - an early stage of embryonic development; fibroblast - a cell that forms connective tissue; blastoderm - the layer surrounding the inside of an egg | |
burs | pouch, purse | Latin | bursar- an administrative officer in charge of funds; bursary- the treasury of a college or monastery; disburse- to expend especially from a public fund | |
calc | stone | Latin | calcite; calcium- the flame of acetylene gas generated by reaction of calcium carbide with water; calcification- impregnation with calcareous matter | |
cand | glowing, iridescent | Latin | candid- free from bias, prejudice, or malice; candle- something that gives light; incandescent- white, glowing, or luminous with intense heat | |
capt, cept, ceive | take, hold | Latin | intercept - to stop or interrupt;
perceive - to take notice of something; captivating - taking hold of |
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cardi/o | heart | Greek | cardiac - relating to the heart; cardiogenic - resulting from heart disease; cardiologist - a heart doctor | |
carn/i | flesh, meat | Latin | carnivorous - flesh-eating; carnal - pertaining to the body or flesh; incarnate - given bodily form | |
cata | down, against completely, intensive, according to |
Greek | cataclysm - a flood or other disaster, catalog - a complete listing; catastrophe - turning for the worst, a substantial disaster | |
caust, caut |
to burn | Latin Greek |
cauterize - to burn with a hot instrument; caustic - capable of burning or eating away; holocaust - total devastation, especially by fire |
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cede, ceed, cess |
go, yield | Latin |
exceed - to go beyond the limits; recede - to go back; accessible - easily entered, approached, or obtained; |
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celer | fast | Latin | accelerate - to increase the speed of; decelerate - to reduce the speed of | |
cent/i | hundred, hundredth | Latin | centennial- the 100th anniversary; centimeter - 1/100 of a meter; century - 100 years | |
centr/o/i | center | Greek | egocentric - self-centered; eccentric - not having a common center, not according to norm; centrifugal - moving outward from a center | |
cephal/o | head | Greek | encephalitis - inflammation of the brain; cephalic - pertaining to the head; cephalopod - marine mollusks like octopus and squid who have tentacles growing from their head | |
cerebr/o | brain | Latin | cerebral - pertaining to the brain; cerebrate - to use the brain; cerebrospinal - pertaining to the brain and the spinal cord | |
cert | sure | Latin | ascertain- to find out something with certainty; certain - being absolutely sure; certify - to state that something is true | |
chrom/o chromat/o, chros | color, pigment | Greek | achromatic - without color; chromium - a blue-white metallic chemical element, chromatics - the study of color | |
chron/o | time | Greek | chronic - lasting for a long time; chronological - arranging events in time order, synchronize - happening at the same time | |
chrys/o | gold, yellow | Greek | chrysanthemum and helichrysum - golden/yellow flowers; chrysolite - a yellowish gem | |
cide, cise | cut, kill | Latin | homicide - murder; incisor - a sharp tooth for cutting food; insecticide - a chemical used to kill insects | |
circum, circle |
around, about | Latin | circumnavigate - to sail around; circumscribe - to draw around; circumspect - looking around | |
claim, clam | shout, speak out | Latin | clamor - to shout and make noise; exclaim - to cry out loudly and suddenly; proclamation - something announced officially in public | |
clar | clear | Latin | clarification - an explanation; clarify - to make something clear; declare - to state something clearly | |
clud, clus | close | Latin | conclusion - the end or last part; exclusion - shutting out, rejecting; seclude - to keep away from; to isolate | |
cline | lean | Latin | inclination - a leaning toward; incline - a surface that slopes or leans; recline - to lean back and relax | |
co | with, together, joint | Latin | coauthor - writer who collaborates with another author; coeducation - educating males and females together; cohousing - planning your neighborhood in an intentional neighborly fashion | |
col | together, jointly | Latin | Collaborate - to work together; collision - smashing together; colloquial - words formed by everday interaction | |
com | together, common | Latin | commemorate - to memorize together; composition - an arrangement or putting together of parts; commune - living together while owning things in common | |
cogn/i | know | Latin | cognition - process of acquiring knowledge; incognito - disguised so no one knows you; recognize - to discover that one knows | |
con | with, jointly | Latin | concur - to agree with someone; contemporary - of the same time period as others; convention - a gathering of people with a common interest | |
contra/o | against, opposite | Latin | contradict to argue against, Contraflow, contraception, contrary not in agreement, controversy disagreement | |
corp/o | body | Latin | corporation - a company recognized by law as a single body; corpse - a dead body; corporal - pertaining to the body | |
cosm/o | universe | Greek | cosmonaut - a Russian astronaut; cosmos - the universe; microcosm - a miniature universe | |
counter | opposite, contrary, opposing | counteract - to oppose the effects of an action; countermand - to cancel a previous order; counteroffensive - attack against an attack | ||
cranio | skull | Greek | craniology - the study of skull characteristics; cranium - skull of vertebrates; cranial - pertaining to the skull | |
cred | believe | Latin | credence - belief that something is true or valid; credulous - believing things too easily, gullible; incredible - unbelievable | |
cruc | cross | Latin | crucial-characteristic of or having the form of a cross ; crucifix- the cross itself as a Christian emblem; excruciating- so intense as to cause great pain or anguish | |
crypto | hidden, secret | Greek | cryptic - of hidden meaning; cryptography - science of secret codes; encrypt - encode into secret code | |
cumul | mass, heap | Latin | accumulate - to gather or pile up; cumulative - gradually building up | |
curr, curs | run | Latin | concurrent- running parallel; current- flowing easily and smoothly; cursive- having a flowing, easy, impromptu character | |
cycl | circle, ring | Greek | bicycle - a vehicle with two wheels; cycle - a sequence that is repeated; cyclone - a storm with circling winds | |
de | reduce, away, down, remove | Latin | decelerate - to slow down, reduce speed; dethrone - to remove from power; debug - to remove bugs | |
dec/a, deka |
ten | Greek | decade - 10 years; decathlon - athletic contest that includes 10 disciplines in which each participant competes; December - formerly the 10th month of the Roman calendar | |
deci | one tenth | Latin | deciliter - a tenth of a liter; decimate - reduce dramatically; decibel - one tenth of the sound volume unit bel | |
dem/o | people | Greek | democracy - government of the people; demographic - the study of people; epidemic - spreading among people in a region | |
demi | half, less than | Latin | demitasse - a small cup of coffee; demimonde - someone of little respected life style | |
dendr/o/i | tree | Greek | philodendron - a climbing plant that grows on trees; dendrochronology - dating events by studying growth rings in trees; dendriform - in the shape of a tree | |
dent, dont | tooth | Latin | dental - relating to teeth; dentist - a doctor for the teeth; dentures - a set of false teeth | |
derm/a | skin | Greek | dermatologist - a doctor for the skin; pachyderm - a class of animals with very thick skin (elephant, rhinoceros); dermatitis - inflammation of the skin | |
di/plo | two, twice | Greek | dichromatic - displaying two colors; diploma - a certificate, literally "a letter folded double"; dilemma - a situation that requires a choice between two alternatives. | |
di/s | apart, away, not, to the opposite |
Latin | digression - a departure from the main issue, subject; disappear - to move out of sight; dissect - to cut apart piece by piece. | |
dia | through, between, apart, across |
Greek | diabetes - disease characterized by excessive thirst and discharge of urine; diagnosis - understanding a condition by going through a detailed review of symptoms; dialog - conversation between two people. | |
dict | speak | Latin | contradict - to express the opposite of; prediction - a statement foretelling the future; dictate - to speak out loud for another person to write down. | |
domin | master | Latin | dominate - to be the master of; domineering - excessively controlling; predominate - to have more power than others | |
don/at | give | Latin | donation - a contribution or gift; donor - someone who gives something; pardon - to give forgiveness for an offense | |
duc/t | lead | Latin | conduct - to lead musicians in playing music; educate - to lead to knowledge; deduction - a subtraction of an amount. | |
du/o | two, twice | Latin | duplicate - make an identical copy; duet - a musical composition for two voices or instruments; duo - a pair normally thought of as being together. | |
dur | harden, to last, lasting | Latin | durable - having the quality of lasting; duration - the length of time something lasts; enduring - able to last. | |
dyn/a/am | power, energy, strength | Greek | dynamo - a generator of energy; dynamic - having physical energy/power; dynamite - a powerful explosive. | |
dys | abnormal, bad | Greek | dyspepsia - abnormal digestion; dystopia - an imaginary place of total misery; dyslexia - impairment of the ability to handle words. | |
e- | out, away | Latin | eloquent - speaking beautifully and forcefully; emissary - a representative of a country or group sent on a mission; eject - throw out forcefully. | |
ego | self | Latin Greek |
egoistic - self-centered; alter ego - a higher aspect of oneself; egomania - excessive preoccupation with oneself. | |
em, en | into, cover with, cause | empathy - intention to feel like another person; empower - put into power; engorge - make larger. | ||
endo | within, inside | Greek | endotherm - a creature that can keep its inside temperature fairly constant; endocrine - relating to glands that secrete directly into the blood or lymph; endogamy - the custom to marry within one's clan, tribe etc. | |
enn/i, anni | years | Latin | bicentennial - of or relating to an age or period of 200 years; centennial - of or relating to an age or period of 100 years; perennial -lasting through many years. | |
en, in | inside, inwards | Latin | envision - to picture in the mind; enclose - lock inside; inwards - towards the inside. | |
ep/i | on, upon, over, among, at, after, to, outside |
Greek | epidemic - the rapid spread of something negative; epilogue - a short speech delivered after a play; epicenter - the center of an earthquake. | |
equ/i | equal, equally | Latin | equidistant - an equal distance from two points; equanimity - calm temperament, evenness of temper; equation - a statement of equality. | |
erg/o | work | Greek | ergonomics - study of the working environment; energy - the power to accomplish work; energetics - science that looks at energy and its transformation. | |
esth/aesth | feeling, sensation, beauty | Latin | esthetician - someone who beautifies; aesthetic - pertaining to a sense of beauty; kinesthesia - the sensation of bodily movement. | |
ethno | race, people | Greek | ethnic - pertaining to a defined group of people; ethnocentric - focusing on the ethnicity of people; ethnology - the science of people and races. | |
eu | good, well | Greek | euphemism - replacing an offensive word with an inoffensive one; euphonious - having a pleasant sound; euphoria - feeling of well-being. | |
ex | from, out, | Latin | excavate - to dig out; exhale - to breathe out; extract - to pull out. | |
extra, extro | outside, beyond | Latin | extraordinary - beyond ordinary; extraterrestrial - outside the Earth; extrovert - an outgoing person. | |
fac/t | make, do | Latin | artifact - an object made by a person; factory - a place where things are made; malefact - a person who does wrong. | |
fer | bear, bring, carry | Latin | confer - to bring an honor to someone; ferry - a boat that carries passengers; transfer - to move to another place. | |
fid | faith | Latin | confide - place trust in someone, fidelity - faithfulness; fiduciary - a trustee; | |
flect | bend | Latin | deflect - to bend course because of hitting something; inflection - a bending in the voice's tone or pitch; flexible - easily bending. | |
flor/a, fleur |
flower | Latin | florist - someone working with flowers; floral - flowerlike; flora - the plant life of a particular time or area | |
for | completely (used to intensify the meaning of a word) |
forsaken or forfeited - completely lost; forgiven - completely given (a release of debt). | ||
fore | in front of, previous, earlier | forebear - ancestor; forebode - to give an advance warning of something bad; forecast - a preview of events to be. | ||
form | shape | Latin | conformity- correspondence in form, manner, or character; formation- something that is formed; reformatory- intended for reformation | |
fract, frag | break | Latin | fracture - a break; fragile - easy to break; fragment or fraction - a part or element of a larger whole; | |
fug | flee, run away, escape | Latin | fugitive - a person who is running away; refuge - a sheltered place to flee to; refugee - a person seeking protection | |
funct | perform, work | Latin | defunct - no longer working or alive; function - to work or perform a role normally; malfunction - to fail to work correctly. | |
fus | pour | Latin | confusion - being flooded with too much information that is hard to make sense of; fuse - to melt by heating; infuse - to put into. | |
gastr/o | stomach | Greek | gastric - pertaining to the stomach; gastronomy - serving the stomach by providing good food; gastritis - inflammation of the stomach. | |
gen/o/e/ genesis |
birth, production, formation, kind |
Greek | genealogy - the study of the history of a family; generation - all the people born at approximately the same time; genetic -relating to heredity encoded in the genes. | |
geo | earth, soil, global | Greek | geography - study of the earth's surface; geology - study of the structure of the earth; geoponics - soil based agriculture. | |
ger | old age | Greek | geriatrics - medicine pertaining to the elderly; gerontocracy - the rule of the elders; gerontology - the science of aging. | |
giga | a billion | Greek | gigabyte - unit of computer storage space; gigahertz - unit of frequency (one billion Hz/sec); gigawatt unit of electric power (one billion watts). | |
gon | angle | Latin Greek |
decagon - a polygon with 10 angles; diagonal - a slanting line running across a space; octagon - a geometrical figure with 8 angles. | |
gram | letter, written | Greek | diagram - a simple drawing; grammar - rules of how to write words in sentences; telegram - a message sent by telegraph. | |
gran | grain | Latin | granary- a storehouse or repository for grain especially after it is threshed or husked; granola- a mixture of rolled oats and other ingredients; granule- a little grain (as of sugar) | |
graph/y | writing, recording, written | Greek | Graphology - the study of handwritings; autograph - written with one's own hand; seismograph - a machine noting strength and duration of earthquakes. | |
grat | pleasing | Latin | gratify - to please someone; grateful - feeling thankful; gratuity - a tip, token of appreciation. | |
gyn/o/e | woman, female | Greek | gynecology - the science of female reproductive health; gynephobia - fear of women; gynecoid - resembling a woman. | |
gress, grad/e/i | to step, to go | Latin | digression - a departure from the main issue, subject, etc.; progress - movement forward or onward; gradual - step by step. | |
hect/o, hecat | hundred | Greek | hectoliter - 100 liters; hectare - metric unit equaling 100 ares or 10,000 square meters; hectometer - 100 meters. | |
helic/o | spiral, circular | Greek | helicopter - an aircraft with horizontal rotating wing; helix - a spiral form; helicon - a circular tuba. | |
heli/o | sun | Greek | heliotropism - movement or growth in relating to the sun; heliograph - apparatus used to send message with the help of sunlight; helianthus - genus of plants including sunflowers. | |
hemi | half, partial | Greek | hemicycle - a semicircular structure; hemisphere - one half of the earth; hemistich - half a line of poetry. | |
hem/o/a | blood | Latin Greek |
hemorrhage - clotting of the blood; hemorrhoids - swelling of the blood vessels; hemoglobin - red blood particle. | |
hepa | liver | Latin | hepatitis - inflammation of the liver; hepatoma - a tumor of the liver; hepatotoxic - toxic and damaging to the liver. | |
hept/a | seven | Greek | heptagon - a shape with seven angles and seven sides; Heptateuch - the first seven books of the Old Testament; heptameter - a line of verse consisting of seven metrical feet. | |
herbi | grass, plant | Latin | herbicide - any chemical used to kill unwanted plants, etc.; herbivorous - plant-eating; herbal - relating to plants. | |
hetero | different, other | Greek | heterogeneous - made up of unrelated parts; heteronyms - words with same spelling but different meanings; heterodox - not conforming to traditional beliefs. | |
hex/a | six | Greek | hexagon - a shape with six angles/sides; hexameter - a verse measured in six; hexapod - having six legs. | |
histo | tissue | Greek | histology - study of the microscopic structure of tissues; histochemistry - study of the chemical constitution of cells and tissues. | |
homo, homeo |
like, alike, same | Latin Greek |
homogeneous - of the same nature or kind; homonym - sounding alike; homeopath - a therapy that is based on treating "same with same" | |
hydr/o | liquid, water | Greek | hydrate - to add water to; hydrophobia - intense fear of water; hydroponics - growing plants in liquid nutrient solution; hydraulic - operated by force created by a liquid. | |
hygr/o | moisture, humidity | Greek | hygrometer - tool used to measure humidity; hygrograph - instrument for recording variations in atmospheric humidity. | |
hyper | too much, over, excessive, beyond |
Latin Greek |
hyperactive - very restless; hypercritical - too critical; hypertension - above normal pressure. | |
hyp/o | under | Greek | hypoglycemia - an abnormally low level of sugar in the blood; hypothermia - abnormally low body temperature; hypothesis - a theory that is unproven but used under the assumption that it is true. | |
iatr/o | medical care | Greek | geriatrics - medical care of the elderly; pediatrician - a doctor who treats children; podiatry - medical care for feet. | |
icon/o | image | Latin Greek |
icon - an (often religious) image, in modern usage a simplified graphic of high symbolic content; iconology - science of symbols and icons; iconoclast - someone who destroys religious images and traditional beliefs. | |
idio | peculiar, personal, distinct | Greek | idiomatic - Peculiar to a particular language; idiosyncracy - a physical or mental characteristic typical or a particular person; idiot - someone who is distinctly foolish or stupid. | |
il, in | in, into | Latin | illuminate - to give light to; innovation - a new idea, method, or device; inspection - the act of examining or reviewing. | |
ig, il, im, in, ir |
not, without | Latin | illegal - not legal; impossible - not possible; inappropriate - not appropriate; irresponsible - not responsible. | |
imag | likeness | Latin | image - a likeness of someone; imaginative - able to think up new ideas or images; imagine - to form a picture or likeness in the mind. | |
infra | beneath, below | Latin | infrastructure - underlying framework of a system; infrared - below the regular light spectrum. | |
inter | between, among, jointly | Latin | international - involving two or more countries; intersection - place where roads come together; intercept - to stop or interrupt the course of. | |
intra, intro |
within, inside | Latin | intrastate - existing in one state; intravenous - inside or into a vein; introvert - shy person who keeps within him/herself. | |
ir | not | Latin | irredeemable - not redeemable; irreformable - not reformable; irrational - not rational. | |
iso | equal | isobar - a line on a map connecting points of equal barometric pressure; isometric - having equality of measure; isothermal - having equal or constant temperature. | ||
ject | throw | Latin | eject - to throw someone/something out; interject - to throw a remark into a discussion; project - to cast or throw something. | |
jud | law | Latin | judgment - a decision of a court of law; judicial - having to do with judges or courts of law; judiciary - a system of courts of law. | |
junct | join | Latin | conjunction - a word that joins parts of sentences; disjunction - a disconnection; junction - a place where two things join. | |
juven | young | Latin | juvenile - youthful or childish; rejuvenate - to bring back to youthful strength or appearance. | |
kilo | thousand | Greek | kilobyte - 1,000 bytes; kilometer - 1,000 meter; kilograms - 1,000 grams. | |
kine/t /mat |
motion, division | Greek | kinetics - study of the force of motion; psychokinesis or telekinesis - the ability to move objects with your mind; cinematography - motion picture making. | |
lab | work | Latin | collaborate - to work with a person; elaborate - to work out the details; laborious - requiring a lot of hard work. | |
lact/o | milk | Latin | lactate - to give milk, nurse; lactose - the sugar contained in milk; lactic acid. | |
later | side | Latin | bilateral - of or involving two sides; unilateral - affecting one side of something. | |
leuk/o, leuc/o |
white, colorless | Greek | leukemia - abnormal increase of white blood cells in the blood; leukocyte - a mature white blood cell; leucine - a white, crystalline amino acid. | |
lex | word, law, reading | Greek | lexicology - the study and history of words; alexia -loss of the ability to read; illegal - not authorized by the official rules or laws. | |
liber | free | Latin | liberate - to set free; libertine - a person with a free, wild lifestyle; liberty - freedom. | |
lingu | language, tongue | Latin | linguist - one who studies languages; multilingual - able to communicate in multiple languages; linguine - long, flat "tongue-shaped" pasta. | |
lip/o | fat | Greek | liposuction - the mechanical removal of fat reserves in the tissue; lipase - enzyme that breaks down fat; lipoid - resembling fat. | |
lite, ite, lith/o |
mineral, rock, fossil | Greek | apatite - a group of common minerals; granite - a hard, granular rock; monolith - a remarkable, unique stone. | |
loc | place | Latin | dislocate - to put something out of its usual place; location - a place; relocate - to move to a new place. | |
log/o | word, doctrine, discourse | Greek | logic - correct reasoning; monologue - a long speech by one speaker;analogy - similarity, especially between things otherwise dissimilar. | |
loqu, locu | speak | Latin | eloquent - speaking beautifully and forcefully ; loquacious - very talkative; elocution - art of public speaking. | |
luc | light | Latin | elucidate - to explain, to throw light on; lucid - easily understood, giving off light; translucent - allowing light through. | |
lud, lus | to play | Latin | prelude - introduction to the major performance; illusion - misleading optical image or impression; delude - to mislead, deceive. | |
lumin | light | Latin | illuminate - to fill with light; lumen - unit measuring light. | |
lun/a/i | moon | Latin | lunar - relating to the moon; lunarscape - the surface of the moon; lunatic - insane (as if driven mad by the moon). | |
macro | large, great | Greek | macroevolution - large scale evolution; macromolecule - a large molecule; macroeconomics - study of the overall forces of economy. | |
magn/a/i | great, large | Latin | magnify - make larger; magnificent - grand; magnate - a powerful person, especially in business or industry. | |
mal/e | bad, ill, wrong | Latin | malcontent - wrong content; malaria - "bad air", infectious disease thought to originate from the "bad air" of the swamps, but caused by the bite of an infected mosquito; malicious - showing strong ill will. | |
man/i/u | hand | Latin | maneuver - to move by hand; manual - done with the hands; manuscript - a book written by hand. | |
mand | to order | Latin | command - an order or instruction; demand - a hard-to-ignore order; mandate - an official order. | |
mania | madness, insanity, excessive desire |
Greek | bibliomania - a crazy love of books; egomania - a mad love of oneself; maniac an insane person. | |
mar/i | sea | Latin |
marina - a harbor for pleasure boats; maritime - relating to the sea; submarine - an undersea boat; aquamarine - color of sea water. |
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mater, matr/i |
mother | Latin | maternal - relating to motherhood; maternity - the state of being a mother; matriarch - a woman head of a household. | |
max | greatest | Latin | maximal - the best or greatest possible; maximize - to make as great as possible; maximum - the greatest amount. | |
medi | middle | Latin | medieval - pertaining to the Middle Ages; medium - in the middle; mediocre - only of medium (inferior) quality. | |
mega | great, large, million | Greek | megalopolis - an area with many nearby cities; megaphone - a device that projects a loud voice; megastructure - huge building or other structure. | |
melan/o | black | Greek | melancholy - a state of dark emotions; melanoma - malignant dark tumor of the skin; melodrama - a dark, pathetic drama. | |
memor/i | remember | Latin | commemorate - to honor the memory of, as by a ceremony; memorial - related to remembering a person or event; memory: an ability to retain knowledge or an individual's stock of retained knowledge. | |
merge, mers |
dip, dive | Latin | immerge or immerse - to put or dip something into a liquid; submerge to dip something completely into wate.r | |
meso | middle | Latin Greek |
Mesoamerica - Middle America; meson - elementary particle with a mass between an electron and a proton. | |
meta | change, after, beyond, between | Greek | metaphysics - study of nature and reality; metamorphosis - a complete change of form; metastasis - the transmission of disease to other parts of the body. | |
meter, metr/y |
measure | Greek | audiometer- an instrument that measures hearing acuteness; chronometer- an instrument that measures time; metric - measured. | |
micro | very small, short, minute | Greek | microbe - a very small living thing; microchip - a tiny wafer with an integrated circuit; microscope - a device to see very small things. | |
mid | middle | Latin Greek |
midriff - the area between the chest and the waist; midterm - middle of a term in school; midway - halfway between. | |
migr | move | Latin | immigrant - a person who moves to a new country to settle; migrant - person who moves from place to place; migration - the process of moving. | |
milli | onethousandth | Latin | millimeter - one thousandth of a meter; millibar - one thousandth of a bar; milliliter - one thousandth of a liter. | |
min/i | small, less | Latin | mini - something that is very small; minuscule - extremely tiny; minutiae - very small or trivial details. | |
mis/o | bad, badly, wrong, wrongly, to hate |
Greek | misbehave - to behave badly; misprint - an error in printing; misnomer - an error in naming a person or thing. | |
miss, mit | send, let go | Latin | dismiss - to send someone away; missile - a weapon sent into the air; emit - to send something out; admittance - entry. | |
mob | move | Latin | immobilize - to stop from moving; mobile - able to move freely; mobility - the quality of being able to move. | |
mon/o | one, single, alone | Greek | monochromat - having one color; monologue - a speech spoken by one person; monotheism - belief in one god. | |
mot, mov | move | Latin | motion - the act of moving; motivate - to move someone to action; promote to move someone forward; removable - able to be taken or carried away. | |
morph/o | form | Greek | metamorphosis - complete change of form; endorphins - chemical in the brain able to transform pain; amorphous - without distinct shape or form. | |
mort | death | Latin | immortal - living forever, unable to die; mortal - certain to die; mortician - an undertaker. | |
multi | many, more than one or two | Latin | multicolored - having many colors; multimedia - using a range of media; multitasking - doing many things at once. | |
mut | change | Latin | immutable - not changing; mutant - an organism that has undergone change; mutate - to undergo a change. | |
my/o | muscle | Latin | myocardium - the middle muscle of the heart; myasthenia - muscle fatigue or weakness; myosin - common protein in muscle tissue. | |
narr | tell | Latin | narrate - to tell a story; narrative - a story; narrator - a person who tells a story. | |
nat | born | Latin | innate - included since birth; natal - relating to birth; natural - gotten at birth, not afterward. | |
nav | ship | Latin | circumnavigate - to sail around a place; naval - relating to a navy or warships; navigate - to sail a ship through a place. | |
necr/o | dead, death | Greek | necrophil - loving death; necrosis - the death of tissue due to disease or injury; necrology - a list of persons who have recently died. | |
neg | no | Latin | negate - to say it didn't happen; negative - meaning "no"; renege - to go back on a promise. | |
neo | new, recent | neoclassic - a revival of classic form, neocolonialism - the indirect ("new") economical and political control of a region by a more powerful foreign power; neonatal - a newborn child, especially the first few weeks. | ||
nephr/o | kidney | Greek | nephritis - inflammation of the kidneys; nephrotomy - surgical incision of a kidney; nephron - a single, excretory unit in the kidney. | |
neur/o | nerve | Greek | neuralgia - pain along a nerve; neurologist - doctor specializing in the nerves; neurotic - mental disorder that usually does not include an impaired perception of reality. | |
nom/in | name | Latin | misnomer - an error in naming a person or thing; nominal - being something in name only but not in reality; nominate - to name for election or appointment, to designate. | |
non | no, not, without | Latin | nondescript - with no special characteristics; nonfiction - true, real, not made-up; nonsense - without sense. | |
not | mark | Latin | notable - marked as worthy of attention; notarize - to certify a signature on a legal document; annotate - to add remarks. | |
noun, nunc |
declare | Latin | announce - to declare in public; denounce - to proclaim harsh criticism; enunciate - to speak or declare something clearly. | |
nov | new | Latin | innovate - to introduce a new way; novelty - something new; novice - a person who is new at a job; renovate - to make something like new again. | |
numer | number | Latin | enumerate - to name a number of items on a list; numerology - the study of magical uses of numbers; numerous - a large number. | |
ob, op | in the way, against | Latin | object - to be against something; obscure - hard to understand; opposition - the act of resistance or action against. | |
oct/a/o | eight | Greek | octagon - a figure with 8 sides and 8 angles; octogenarian - person in his or her 80s; octopus - sea animal with 8 arms. | |
ocu | eye | Latin | binoculars - lens device for seeing distances; monocula - relating to one eye; oculist - an eye doctor. | |
od | path, way | Greek | diode - an electron tube having two electrodes, a cathode and an anode; odometer - an instrument attached to a vehicle to measure the distance traversed; triode - an electron tube with an anode, a cathode, and a control grid | |
odor | smell, scent | Latin | deodorant - a substance that helps prevent body odor; malodorous - having a terribly bad smell; odoriferous- something that bears or diffuses a scent |
|
omni | all | Latin | omnipotent - with all the power; omniscient - knowing all things; omnivorous eating all foods. | |
op/t/s | eye, visual condition, sight | Greek | optic - relating to the eyes; optician - a person who fits eyeglasses; autopsy - the examination of a dead body. | |
opt | best | Latin | optimal - the best, the most desirable; optimize - to make the best of; optimum - the best something could be. | |
ortho | straight | Greek | orthodontist - a dentist that straightens teeth; orthopedic - a doctor concerned with the proper alignment of the bones; orthography - the correct way of writing. | |
osteo | bone | Greek | osteoarthritis - inflammation caused by degeneration of the joints; osteopathy - therapy that uses among others manipulation of the skeleton to restore health; osteology - the study of bones. | |
out | goes beyond, surpasses, exceeds |
Outgoing - being of lively, sharing nature; outdoing - doing better than; outdoor - outside. | ||
over | excessive | English | overconfident - more confident than is appropriate; overstock - more supplies than is desirable; overexcited - ,more excited than one should be. | |
oxi/oxy | sharp | Greek | oxymoron - combining two ideas that sharply contradict each other; oxidize - corrode a surface. | |
pale/o | ancient | Greek | paleontology - study of ancient fossils; paleography - the study of ancient forms of writing; Paleolithic - period of the Stone Age. | |
pan | all, any, everyone | Greek | panacea - a cure for all diseases or problems; panorama - an all-around view; pantheism - the worship of all gods; pandemic - affecting all. | |
para | beside, beyond, abnormal, assistant |
Greek | parasite - an organism that lives on and off another living being; parallel - alongside and always an equal distance apart; paragraph - a portion of a writtenn document that presents a distinct idea. | |
para | protection from | parachute - protection from falling; parasol - an umbrella used to protect from the sun; | ||
pater, patr/i |
father | Latin Greek |
paternal - relating to fathers; paternity - fatherhood; patriarch - a man who rules a group. | |
path | feeling, emotion | antipathy - a feeling of great dislike; apathy - a lack of feeling or interest; empathy - ability to understand another's feelings. | ||
ped/i/e | foot, feet | Latin | pedal - a lever pushed by the foot; pedestrian - one who walks; pedicure - cosmetic treatment of feet and toes. | |
pel | drive, force | Latin | compel - to force someone to act; expel - to drive someone out of a place; repel - to force back. | |
pent/a | five | Greek | pentagon - shape having 5 angles and 5 sides, pentagram - a five-pointed star formerly used as a symbolic figure in magic; pentathlon - an athletic contest that includes five events. | |
pept, peps |
digestion | Greek | dyspepsia - abnormal digestion; peptic - aiding digestion; pepsin - a digestive enzyme. | |
per | through, throughout | Latin | permanent - lasting throughout all time; permeate - to spread throughout; persist - to continue for a long time; perennial - lasting through many years. | |
peri | around, enclosing | Greek | periodontal - pertaining to bone and tissue around a tooth; peripheral - lying outside of the center; perimeter - the outer boundary of an area. | |
phag/e | to eat | Greek | esophagus - muscular tube that carries food to the stomach; anthropophagy or sarcophagy - cannibalism; xylophagous - feeding on wood. | |
phil/o | love, friend | Greek | philanthropist - one who loves humanity; philology - the love of words; philosophy - the love of wisdom; bibliophil - loving books. | |
phon/o /e/y |
sound | Greek | cacophony - loud, unpleasant sounds; microphone - a device that records and amplifies sound; phonetic - relating to human speech sounds. | |
phot/o | light | Greek | photogenic - caused by light; photograph - image made on light-sensitive film; photon - the smallest possible unit of light. | |
phyll/o | leaf | Greek | chlorophyll - a group of green pigments found in leaves; phyllotaxis - the arrangement of leaves on a stem; phyllite - a rock that forms sheets, similar to slate. | |
phys | nature, medicine, the body | Greek | physical - relating to the body; physician - a doctor; physique - nature and shape of one's body. | |
phyt/o/e | plant, to grow | Greek | epiphyte - a plant growing independently on the surface of another; hydrophyte - a plant that grows only in water; neophyte - a beginner, especially a person recently converted to a new belief. | |
plas/t/m | to form, development, forming cells |
Greek | protoplasm - something that is the first made or formed, also the living portion of a cell; plastic - able to be formed, especially when warm; plaster - a mixture of lime, sand and water that forms a smooth solid covering for walls. | |
plaud, plod, plaus, plos | approve, clap | Latin | applaud- to show approval of especially by clapping the hands; explosion- an act of exposing something as invalid or baseless; plausible- worthy of being applauded | |
pneum/o | breathing, lung, air, spirit | Greek | pneumonia - inflammation of the lungs; pneumatic - using the force of air; dyspnea - difficulty breathing. | |
pod/e | foot | Greek | podiatrist - a doctor for the feet; podium - a small platform to stand on; tripod - a stand or frame with 3 legs. | |
poli | city | Greek | metropolis - a large city; police - people who work for the government to maintain order in a city; politics - actions of a government or political party. | |
poly | many, more than one | Greek | polychrome - with many colors; polyglot - a person fluent in many languages; polygon - shape with 3 or more straight sides. | |
pon | place, put | Latin | opponent - a person who places him/herself against an action, idea, etc.; postpone - to put off doing something. | |
pop | people | Latin | popular - appealing to a lot of people; population - all of the people who live in a particular area; populist - a supporter of the rights of people. | |
port | carry | Latin | export - to carry goods out of a place to another; portable - able to be carried; porter - a person who carries luggage. | |
pos | place, put | Latin | deposit - to place or drop something; expose to place out into the open for all to see; position - the place where someone is. | |
post | after, behind | Latin | posthumous - after someone's death; postpone - to delay something; postscript - an addition to an already completed document. | |
pre | earlier, before, in front of | Latin | preamble - a part in front of a formal document; prepare - to get ready in advance; prediction - a statement foretelling the future. | |
pro | before, in front of, for, forward |
Greek Latin |
prognosis - a prediction of what will happen; prologue - a passage before the main part; prophet - a person who foretells the future. | |
prot/o | primitive, first, chief | Greek | prototype - the first of a kind; proton - on of the very basic parts of an atom; protocol - a first draft from which a document is prepared. | |
pseud/o | wrong,false | Greek | pseudonym - a fictitious name; pseudoscience - theories presumed without proof of a scientific nature; pseudopregnancy - a false pregnancy. | |
psych/o | mind, mental | Greek | psyche - the human spirit or soul; psychic - relating to the human mind or someone who has supernatural mental abilities; psychology - the study of the mind. | |
pugn/a, pung |
to fight | Latin | pugnacious - having a quarrelsome or aggressive nature; repugnant - distasteful, offensive or revolting; pungent - piercing. | |
pul | urge | compulsion - a very strong urge; expulsion - to someone out; impulsive - having a spontaneous urge to do something. | ||
purg | clean | Latin | purge - remove anything undesirable; purgatory - according to Roman Catholics a place where souls must clean themselves of sin; expurgate - remove objectionable passages from a publication. | |
put | think | Latin | computer - an electronic thinking device; dispute - to disagree with what another person thinks; input - contribution of one's thinking. | |
pyr/o | fire, heat | Greek | pyrotechnics - the art of making fireworks; pyrometer - a thermometer for measuring high temperature; pyretic - relating to or producing fever. | |
quad/r/ri | four | Latin | quadrant - open space with buildings on 4 sides; quadrennium - period of 4 years; quadruped - a 4-footed animal. | |
quart | fourth | Latin | quarter - one fourth; quart - a fourth of a gallon; quartet - a musical composition or group involving 4 voices or instruments. | |
quin/t | five, fifth | Latin | quintett - a composition for 5 voices or instruments; quintessence - pure essence, based on the ancient philosophy that there was a fifth element that was present in all things; quintuple - fivefold. | |
radic, radix |
root | Latin | eradicate - pull out at the roots; radical - fundamental, looking at things from a drastic point of view; radish - an edible root of the mustard family. | |
radio | radiation, ray | radioactive - emitting radiation; radiologist - someone diagnosing or treating via radiation. | ||
ram/i | branch | Latin | ramification - the resulting consequence of a decision; ramify - to spread or branch out; ramus - a branchlike part. | |
re | again, back, backward | Latin | rebound -to spring back again; rewind - to wind something backward; reaction: a response; recognize: to identify someone or something seen before. | |
reg | guide, rule | Latin | regent - a person who rules on behalf of a king or queen; regime - a government that rules; regulate - to apply a rule. | |
retro | backward, back | Latin | retroactive - relating to something in the past; retrogress - to go back to an earlier condition; retrospect - the remembering of past events. | |
rhin/o | nose | Greek | rhinoceros - a species of animals with a big horn on the snout; rhinoplasty - surgery of the nose; rhinovirus - viruses that are causing the common cold. | |
rhod/o | red | Greek | rhododendron - a flower with red/pink flowers; rhodium - an element which produces a red solution; rhodopsin - a purple pigment in the retina that is needed for vision. | |
rid | laugh | Latin | deride - to make fun of someone; ridicule - to make fun or mock; ridiculous - silly, causing laughter. | |
rrh/ea /oea/ag |
flow, discharge | Latin Greek |
diarrhea - abnormally excessive bowl movement; hemorrhage - heavy blood flow; catarrh - inflammation of a mucous membrane, especially the nose and throat. | |
rub | red | Latin | ruby - deep red color and a precious stone of the same color; rubella - measles; bilirubin - reddish pigment in bile. | |
rupt | break, burst | Latin | bankrupt - unable to pay because you're "broke"; interrupt - to break into a conversation or event, to disturb; rupture - a break in something. | |
san | health | Latin | sane - mentally healthy; sanitary - relating to cleanliness and health; sanitation - maintenance of public health and cleanliness. | |
scend | climb, go | Latin | ascend - to climb upward; crescendo - a climbing up of the volume of music; descend - to go or climb down. | |
sci | know | Latin | conscience - sense of knowing right from wrong; conscious - knowing what is happening; omniscient - knowing everything. | |
scler/o | hard | Greek | arteriosclerosis - hardening of the arterial walls; multiple sclerosis - disease which causes the tissue of the brain and spinal cord to harden; sclerometer - instrument for measuring hardness. | |
scop/e/y | see, examine, observe | Greek | microscope - a device used to see tiny things; periscope - a seeing instrument on a submarine; telescope - a device used to see over a distance. | |
scrib, script |
write, written | Latin | inscribe - to write letters or words on a surface; scribe - a person who writes out documents; describe - to represent with words or pictures. | |
se | apart | Latin | secede - to formally break away from; seclude - to keep away from; serum - a liquid isolated out of another. | |
sect | cut | Latin | dissect - to cut apart piece by piece; intersection - the place or point where two things cross each other; bisect - to cut into two equal parts. | |
sed, sid, sess | sit | Latin | reside- be stationed; sediment- the matter that settles to the bottom of a liquid; session- an actual or constructive sitting of a body | |
self | of, for, or by itself | self-discipline - the ability to discipline yourself; self-respect - respect for yourself; selfish concerned only with your own interests. | ||
semi | half, partial | Latin | semiannual - every half year; semicircle - half a circle; semiconscious - partly conscious; semiannual - every half of a year. | |
sept/i | seven | Latin | September - this used to be the seventh month in the Roman calendar; septet - a group of seven musicians; septuagenarian - a person in his/her seventies. | |
serv | save, keep | Latin | conserve - to save or keep something safe; preserve - to save something; reservation - a place kept for a person. | |
sex | six | Latin | sextet or sextette - a composition or group of six, sextuple - sixfold; sexagenarian - person in his/her sixties. | |
sol | alone | Latin | desolate - lonely, dismal, gloomy; solitary - done alone, by yourself; solo - a performance done by one person alone. | |
sol | sun | Latin | solar - involving the sun; parasol - umbrella protecting from the sun; solarium - a room where one is exposed to sun light. | |
somn/I | sleep | Latin | insomnia - inability to fall asleep; somniloquy - talking in your sleep; somnolent - feeling sleepy. | |
son | sound | Latin | consonant - a speech sound; sonorous - producing loud, full, rich sounds; supersonic - faster than sound; unison - as one voice. | |
soph | wise | Greek | philosopher - a wise person; sophisticated - wise about the ways of the world; sophism - a clever but misleading argument. | |
spec/t, spic |
see, look | Latin | circumspect - cautious, looking all around; retrospective - a looking back at past things; spectator - a person who sees an event. | |
sphere | ball | Greek | biosphere - the whole round surface of the earth; hemisphere - half the earth spherically shaped like a ball. | |
spir | breathe | Latin | inspire - to stimulate or animate; transpire - to give of vapor with waste product through the skin or a membrane; spirit - invisible life force. | |
sta | stand | Latin | stable - standing steady and firm; stagnant - standing still, not moving; stationary - at a standstill, fixed. | |
stell | star | Latin | constellation - a group of stars that forms a pattern; interstellar - between the stars; stellar - relating to stars. | |
struct | build | Latin | construct - to build; destruction - the act of destroying something that was built; structure - something built; infrastructure - underlying framework of a system. | |
sub | under, lower than, inferior to |
Latin | submarine - an underwater boat; submerge - to put underwater; substandard - inferior to accepted standards. | |
sum | highest | Latin | sum - the combined total of everything; summation - the total, highest amount; summit the highest point or top. | |
super | higher in quality or quantity |
Latin | Super bowl - the final annual football game; superior - above average, better in quality; supersonic - faster than the speed of sound. | |
sy/m /n/l/s |
together, with, same | Greek | symmetry -similarity in size, form or arrangement; synergy - the combined effect; synchronize - to cause to occur at the same time. | |
tact, tang | touch | Latin | contact - a state in which two things touch; tactile - relating to the sense of touch; tangible - able to be touched; intact - with nothing missing. | |
tax/o | arrangement | Greek | syntax - the systematic arrangement of words; taxonomy - the science of classification; ataxia - loss of the ability to coordinate muscle action. | |
techno | technique, skill | Greek | technology - the practical application of knowledge; technocracy - rule of technology; technologically - characterized by technology. | |
tel/e/o | far, distant, complete | Greek | telephone - a device to talk to a distant person; telescope - a device to view distant objects; television - a device to receive pictures from afar; telecommuting - working remotely, bridging the distance via virtual devices. | |
temp/or | time | Latin | contemporary- existing at the same time; temporal - relating to time; temporary - lasting for a limited time. | |
ten, tin, tent | hold | Latin | continent- serving to restrain or limit; detention- the act or fact of detaining, tenacious- having parts or elements strongly adhering to each other | |
ter, trit | rub | Latin | attrition- the act of rubbing together or wearing down; detritus- a product of disintegration or wearing away; trite- used or occurring so often as to have lost interest, freshness, or force | |
term/ina | end, limit | Latin | determine - to find something out at the end of an investigation; terminate - to end; exterminate - to destroy or get rid of completely. | |
terr/a/i | land, earth | Latin | extraterrestrial - existing outside the earth; terrain - ground or land; territory - an area of land. | |
tetra | four | Latin | tetrapod - having 4 legs; tetrarchy - government by 4 rulers; tetrose - a monosaccharide with four carbon atoms. | |
the | put | Greek | bibliotheca- a list or catalog of books; theme- a proposition for discussion or argument; thesis- a dissertation embodying results of original research and especially substantiating a specific view | |
the/o | god | Greek | monotheism - belief in one god; polytheism - worshiping more than one god; theology - the study of religion, god, etc. | |
therm/o | heat | Greek | thermal - relating to heat; thermos - an insulated jar that keeps heat in; thermostat - a device that controls heat. | |
tort | twist | Latin | contortion - a twisted shape or position; distort - to alter the shape or condition of; retort - reply in a manner that is supposed to change the effect of something previously said. | |
tox | poison | Latin | detoxification - the process of removing poisons; toxic - poisonous; toxicology - the study of poisons; intoxicated - influenced by drugs. | |
tract | pull, drag | Latin | attract - to pull objects nearer; distract - to drag attention away from something; tractor - a motor vehicle that pulls things. | |
trans | across,beyond, through | Latin | transcontinental - across the continent; transfer - to move from one place to another; transport - to carry something across a space. | |
tri | three, once in every three, third |
Greek Latin |
triangle - a figure with 3 sides and 3 angles; triathlon - an athletic contest with 3 events; tricycle - a 3-wheeI vehicle with pedals. | |
ultra | beyond, extreme, more than | Latin | ultrahigh - extremely high; ultramodern - more modern than anything else; ultrasonic - sound waves beyond human hearing. | |
un | not,opposite of, lacking | Latin | unabridged - not shortened; unfair - opposite of fair; unfriendly - lacking friendliness. | |
uni | one, single | Latin | unicycle - a vehicle with one wheel; unilateral - decided by only one person or nation; unique - the only one of its kind; unison - as one voice. | |
urb | city | Latin | suburb - residential area on the edge of a city; urban - relating to a city; urbanology - the study of city life. | |
vac | empty | Latin | evacuate - to empty a dangerous place; vacant - empty, not occupied; vacation - a time without work. | |
ven/t | come | Latin | circumvent - to go around or bypass restrictions; convention - a gathering or assembly of people with a common interest; intervene - to come between. | |
ver/I | truth | Latin | veracious - truthful, honest; veracity - the truth; verify - to make sure that something is true. | |
verb | word | Latin | verbalize - to put into words; adverb - a word relating to a verb; proverb - a short saying that expresses a well-known truth. | |
vers, vert |
turn | Latin | reverse - to turn around; introvert - being turned towards the inside; version - a variation of an original; controversy - a conversation in which positions are turned against each other. | |
vice | acting in place of, next in rank |
Latin | vice-president - the person next in rank to the president | |
vid | see | Latin | evident clearly seen | |
vince, vic |
conquer | Latin | convince - to win someone over; invincible - not able to be conquered; victory - the conquest of an enemy. | |
vis, vid | see | Latin | vision - the ability to see; envision - to picture in the mind; evident - clearly visible. | |
viv/i vit |
live, life | Latin | revival - the act of bringing back to life; vital - pertaining to live; vivacious - high-spirited and full of life. | |
voc/i | voice, call | Latin | advocate - to speak in favor of; equivocate - to use misleading language that could be interpreted two different ways; vocalize - to produce with your voice. | |
vol/i/u | wish, will | Latin | benevolent - showing good will and kindness; volition - the act of making a choice or decision, voluntary - resulting from your own free will. | |
vor, vour |
eat | Latin | carnivorous - meat-eating; voracious - desiring or eating food in great quantities; devour - to eat quickly. | |
xanth | yellow | Latin | xanthium- a genus of coarse and rough or spiny herbs; xanthochromia- yellowish discoloration (as of the skin or cerebrospinal fluid); xanthogenic | |
xen/o | foreign | Greek | xenophobic - afraid of foreigners; xenogenesis - the creation of offspring that is completely different from either parent; xenophile - attracted to foreigners. | |
xer/o/I | dry | Greek | xerophyte - a plant that grows in dry climate; xerography - a dry photocopying process; xeric - requiring small amounts of moisture. | |
xyl | wood | Greek | xylocarp; xyloid- resembling wood; xylophone-an organ percussion stop of similar tone quality | |
zo/o | animal life | Greek | zoology - study of animals; zooid - resembling an animal; zooplankton - minute floating aquatic animals. | |
zyg/o | pair | Greek | zygote - a cell formed by the union of two gametes and the organism developing from that; zygomorphic - pertaining to organisms that can be divided into symmetrical halves along one axis only. |