Word Parts Quick Reference
from http://www.learnthat.org/pages/view/roots.html
This is the most complete root word list and suffix list on the web, yet it's only a hobby of ours. Our true goal: To provide a complete, full circle vocabulary solution that's effective and fun. We want to make it easy to learn words by heart, so you become truly confident using them.
Join now to try a few free sessions. Enter "root" in the "referred by" field for a 10% discount. Joining also gets you a personal invitation to our next website update. Get ready for free tutoring, the Open Dictionary of English, and lots of cool new features! Of course, we don't spam.
Find prefixes and word roots below, listed together alphabetically. Visit our list of suffixes, too!
Variations of word root are listed together, like this: "mater, matri," or like this: arch/i/e/o/ae (may appear as: "arch" or "archi" or "arche" or "archo" or "archae").
We decided to neglect all word roots that only appear in a very limited range of words, since it makes more sense to just learn these words. If you know of a word root that is not listed, but seems to be important, please send us an email.
This is the most complete root word list and suffix list on the web, yet it's only a hobby of ours. Our true goal: To provide a complete, full circle vocabulary solution that's effective and fun. We want to make it easy to learn words by heart, so you become truly confident using them.
Join now to try a few free sessions. Enter "root" in the "referred by" field for a 10% discount. Joining also gets you a personal invitation to our next website update. Get ready for free tutoring, the Open Dictionary of English, and lots of cool new features! Of course, we don't spam.
Find prefixes and word roots below, listed together alphabetically. Visit our list of suffixes, too!
Variations of word root are listed together, like this: "mater, matri," or like this: arch/i/e/o/ae (may appear as: "arch" or "archi" or "arche" or "archo" or "archae").
We decided to neglect all word roots that only appear in a very limited range of words, since it makes more sense to just learn these words. If you know of a word root that is not listed, but seems to be important, please send us an email.
Link
Root
Meanings
Sample Words and Definitions
a/n
not, without
abyss - without bottom; achromatic - without color; anhydrous - without water
a
on
afire - on fire; ashore - on the shore; aside - on the side
ab/s, a
from, away, off
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.
ac, ad
to, toward, near
accelerate - to increase the speed of; accessible - easily entered, approached, or obtained; admittance - allowing into;
acro
top, height, tip, beginning
acrobat - a "high walker"; acronym - a word formed from the first (capital) letters of a word; acrophobia - fear of height
act
do
activity - something that a person does; react - to do something in response; interaction - communication between two or more things
aer/o
air
aerate - to let air reach something; aerial - relating to the air; aerospace - the air space
agr/i/o
farming
agriculture - management of the land, agribusiness - making money by utilizing land; agrarian - relating to the management of land
alg/o
pain
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
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
amble - to walk in a slow, relaxed way; ambulant - walking or moving around; ambulance - a vehicle that moves a patient
ami/o
love
amiable - friendly, pleasant, lovable; amity - friendly and peaceful relations; amorous - showing romantic love
ana
up, back, against,
again, throughout
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
androgynous - being both male and female; android - resembling a human; misandry - hatred towards men
anim
life, spirit
animal - a living organism; animate - to make alive; equanimity - of balanced spirit
ann/enn
year
anniversary - a date observed once a year; annual - happening once a year; millennium - 1,000 years
ante
before, in front
antecede - to come before something in time; antemeridian - before noon; anteroom- a small room before the main room
anth/o
flower
chrysanthemum and amaranth - names of flowers; anthology - a collection of treasured writings; anthozoan - half plant, half animal, like anemones and corals.
anthrop/o
human
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
antibody - a substance that destroys micro-organisms; antiseptic - preventing infection; antisocial - opposing social norm
apo, apho
away, off, separate
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
aquarium - a water container for fish; aquatic- relating to water; aqueduct - a pipeline for water
arbor
tree
arborist - someone working with trees; arbor - a shady area formed by trees; arborous - having many trees
arch/i
chief, most important, rule
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
archaeology - the study of ancient cultures; archaic - belonging to an earlier period; archive - a collection of historical materials
arthr/o
joint
arthroscope - a tool to see inside a joint; arthritis - inflammation of a joint; arthropod - invertebrates with jointed legs, like spiders, crustaceans, insects
art
skill
artifact - object made by a person's skill; artisan - a person skilled in a craft; artist - a person who creates skillfully
astro,
aster
aster
star, stars, outer space
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
audible - loud enough to be heard; audience - people who listen to a program; audiovisual - relating to sound and vision
auto
self, same, one
autocrat - a person who governs with absolute power; autograph - a person's own signature; automatic - moving by itself
avi/a
bird
aviary - a large enclosure for birds; aviatrix - a female airplane pilot; aviation - the art of designing or operating aircraft
bar/o
pressure, weight
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
bellicose - warlike; belligerent - hostile, ready to fight; rebel - person who opposes and fights
bene
good, well
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
biannual - happening twice a year; binoculars - optical device with two lenses; bilateral - of or involving two sides
bibli/o
book
bibliography - a list of books used as sources; bibliomania - an extreme love of books; bibliophile - a person who loves books
bio
life, living matter
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
blastula - an early stage of embryonic development; fibroblast - a cell that forms connective tissue; blastoderm - the layer surrounding the inside of an egg
capt, cept, ceive
take, hold
intercept - to stop or interrupt;perceive - to take notice of something; captivating - taking hold of
cardi/o
heart
cardiac - relating to the heart; cardiogenic - resulting from heart disease; cardiologist - a heart doctor
carn/i
flesh, meat
carnivorous - flesh-eating; carnal - pertaining to the body or flesh; incarnate - given bodily form
cata
down, against
completely, intensive,
according to
cataclysm - a flood or other disaster, catalog - a complete listing; catastrophe - turning for the worst, a substantial disaster
caust,
caut
caut
to burn
cauterize - to burn with a hot instrument; caustic - capable of burning or eating away; holocaust - total devastation, especially by fire
cede,
ceed,
cess
ceed,
cess
go, yield
exceed - to go beyond the limits; recede - to go back; accessible - easily entered, approached, or obtained;
celer
fast
accelerate - to increase the speed of; decelerate - to reduce the speed of
cent/i
hundred, hundredth
centennial- the 100th anniversary; centimeter - 1/100 of a meter; century - 100 years
centr/o/i
center
egocentric - self-centered; eccentric - not having a common center, not according to norm; centrifugal - moving outward from a center
cephal/o
head
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
cerebral - pertaining to the brain; cerebrate - to use the brain; cerebrospinal - pertaining to the brain and the spinal cord
cert
sure
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
achromatic - without color; chromium - a blue-white metallic chemical element, chromatics - the study of color
chron/o
time
chronic - lasting for a long time; chronological - arranging events in time order, synchronize - happening at the same time
chrys/o
gold, yellow
chrysanthemum and helichrysum - golden/yellow flowers; chrysolite - a yellowish gem
cide, cise
cut, kill
homicide - murder; incisor - a sharp tooth for cutting food; insecticide - a chemical used to kill insects
circum,
circle
circle
around, about
circumnavigate - to sail around; circumscribe - to draw around; circumspect - looking around
claim, clam
shout, speak out
clamor - to shout and make noise; exclaim - to cry out loudly and suddenly; proclamation - something announced officially in public
clar
clear
clarification - an explanation; clarify - to make something clear; declare - to state something clearly
clud, clus
close
conclusion - the end or last part; exclusion - shutting out, rejecting; seclude - to keep away from; to isolate
cline
lean
inclination - a leaning toward; incline - a surface that slopes or leans; recline - to lean back and relax
co
with, together, joint
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
Collaborate - to work together; collision - smashing together; colloquial - words formed by everday interaction
com
together, common
commemorate - to memorize together; composition - an arrangement or putting together of parts; commune - living together while owning things in common
cogn/i
know
cognition - process of acquiring knowledge; incognito - disguised so no one knows you; recognize - to discover that one knows
con
with, jointly
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
contradict to argue against, Contraflow, contraception, contrary not in agreement, controversy disagreement
corp/o
body
corporation - a company recognized by law as a single body; corpse - a dead body; corporal - pertaining to the body
cosm/o
universe
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
craniology - the study of skull characteristics; cranium - skull of vertebrates; cranial - pertaining to the skull
cred
believe
credence - belief that something is true or valid; credulous - believing things too easily, gullible; incredible - unbelievable
crypto
hidden, secret
cryptic - of hidden meaning; cryptography - science of secret codes; encrypt - encode into secret code
cumul
mass, heap
accumulate - to gather or pile up; cumulative - gradually building up
cycl
circle, ring
bicycle - a vehicle with two wheels; cycle - a sequence that is repeated; cyclone - a storm with circling winds
de
reduce, away, down, remove
decelerate - to slow down, reduce speed; dethrone - to remove from power; debug - to remove bugs
dec/a,
deka
deka
ten
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
deciliter - a tenth of a liter; decimate - reduce dramatically; decibel - one tenth of the sound volume unit bel
dem/o
people
democracy - government of the people; demographic - the study of people; epidemic - spreading among people in a region
demi
half, less than
demitasse - a small cup of coffee; demimonde - someone of little respected life style
dendr/o/i
tree
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
dental - relating to teeth; dentist - a doctor for the teeth; dentures - a set of false teeth
derm/a
skin
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
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
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
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
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
dominate - to be the master of; domineering - excessively controlling; predominate - to have more power than others
don/at
give
donation - a contribution or gift; donor - someone who gives something; pardon - to give forgiveness for an offense
duc/t
lead
conduct - to lead musicians in playing music; educate - to lead to knowledge; deduction - a subtraction of an amount.
du/o
two, twice
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
durable - having the quality of lasting; duration - the length of time something lasts; enduring - able to last.
dyn/a/am
power, energy, strength
dynamo - a generator of energy; dynamic - having physical energy/power; dynamite - a powerful explosive.
dys
abnormal, bad
dyspepsia - abnormal indigestion; dystopia - an imaginary place of total misery; dyslexia - impairment of the ability to handle words.
e-
out, away
eloquent - speaking beautifully and forcefully; emissary - a representative of a country or group sent on a mission; eject - throw out forcefully.
ego
self
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
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
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
envision - to picture in the mind; enclose - lock inside; inwards - towards the inside.
ep/i
on, upon, over,
among, at, after,
to, outside
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
equidistant - an equal distance from two points; equanimity - calm temperament, evenness of temper; equation - a statement of equality.
erg/o
work
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
esthetician - someone who beautifies; aesthetic - pertaining to a sense of beauty; kinesthesia - the sensation of bodily movement.
ethno
race, people
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
euphemism - replacing an offensive word with an inoffensive one; euphonious - having a pleasant sound; euphoria - feeling of well-being.
ex
from, out,
excavate - to dig out; exhale - to breathe out; extract - to pull out.
extra, extro
outside, beyond
extraordinary - beyond ordinary; extraterrestrial - outside the Earth; extrovert - an outgoing person.
fac/t
make, do
artifact - an object made by a person; factory - a place where things are made; malefact - a person who does wrong.
fer
bear, bring, carry
confer - to bring an honor to someone; ferry - a boat that carries passengers; transfer - to move to another place.
fid
faith
confide - place trust in someone, fidelity - faithfulness; fiduciary - a trustee;
flect
bend
deflect - to bend course because of hitting something; inflection - a bending in the voice's tone or pitch; flexible - easily bending.
flor/a,
fleur
fleur
flower
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.
fract, frag
break
fracture - a break; fragile - easy to break; fragment or fraction - a part or element of a larger whole;
fug
flee, run away, escape
fugitive - a person who is running away; refuge - a sheltered place to flee to; refugee - a person seeking protection
funct
perform, work
defunct - no longer working or alive; function - to work or perform a role normally; malfunction - to fail to work correctly.
fus
pour
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
gastric - pertaining to the stomach; gastronomy - serving the stomach by providing good food; gastritis - inflammation of the stomach.
gen/o/e/
genesis
genesis
birth, production,
formation, kind
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
geography - study of the earth's surface; geology - study of the structure of the earth; geoponics - soil based agriculture.
ger
old age
geriatrics - medicine pertaining to the elderly; gerontocracy - the rule of the elders; gerontology - the science of aging.
giga
a billion
gigabyte - unit of computer storage space; gigahertz - unit of frequency (one billion Hz/sec); gigawatt unit of electric power (one billion watts).
gon
angle
decagon - a polygon with 10 angles; diagonal - a slanting line running across a space; octagon - a geometrical figure with 8 angles.
gram
letter, written
diagram - a simple drawing; grammar - rules of how to write words in sentences; telegram - a message sent by telegraph.
graph/y
writing, recording, written
Graphology - the study of handwritings; autograph - written with one's own hand; seismograph - a machine noting strength and duration of earthquakes.
grat
pleasing
gratify - to please someone; grateful - feeling thankful; gratuity - a tip, token of appreciation.
gyn/o/e
woman, female
gynecology - the science of female reproductive health; gynephobia - fear of women; gynecoid - resembling a woman.
gress, grad/e/i
to step, to go
digression - a departure from the main issue, subject, etc.; progress - movement forward or onward; gradual - step by step.
hect/o, hecat
hundred
hectoliter - 100 liters; hectare - metric unit equaling 100 ares or 10,000 square meters; hectometer - 100 meters.
helic/o
spiral, circular
helicopter - an aircraft with horizontal rotating wing; helix - a spiral form; helicon - a circular tuba.
heli/o
sun
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
hemicycle - a semicircular structure; hemisphere - one half of the earth; hemistich - half a line of poetry.
hem/o/a
blood
hemorrhage - clotting of the blood; hemorrhoids - swelling of the blood vessels; hemoglobin - red blood particle.
hepa
liver
hepatitis - inflammation of the liver; hepatoma - a tumor of the liver; hepatotoxic - toxic and damaging to the liver.
hept/a
seven
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
herbicide - any chemical used to kill unwanted plants, etc.; herbivorous - plant-eating; herbal - relating to plants.
hetero
different, other
heterogeneous - made up of unrelated parts; heteronyms - words with same spelling but different meanings; heterodox - not conforming to traditional beliefs.
hex/a
six
hexagon - a shape with six angles/sides; hexameter - a verse measured in six; hexapod - having six legs.
histo
tissue
histology - study of the microscopic structure of tissues; histochemistry - study of the chemical constitution of cells and tissues.
homo,
homeo
homeo
like, alike, same
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
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
hygrometer - tool used to measure humidity; hygrograph - instrument for recording variations in atmospheric humidity.
hyper
too much, over,
excessive, beyond
hyperactive - very restless; hypercritical - too critical; hypertension - above normal pressure.
hyp/o
under
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
geriatrics - medical care of the elderly; pediatrician - a doctor who treats children; podiatry - medical care for feet.
icon/o
image
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
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
illuminate - to give light to; innovation - a new idea, method, or device; inspection - the act of examining or reviewing.
ig, il, im,
in, ir
in, ir
not, without
illegal - not legal; impossible - not possible; inappropriate - not appropriate; irresponsible - not responsible.
imag
likeness
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
infrastructure - underlying framework of a system; infrared - below the regular light spectrum.
inter
between, among, jointly
international - involving two or more countries; intersection - place where roads come together; intercept - to stop or interrupt the course of.
intra,
intro
intro
within, inside
intrastate - existing in one state; intravenous - inside or into a vein; introvert - shy person who keeps within him/herself.
ir
not
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
eject - to throw someone/something out; interject - to throw a remark into a discussion; project - to cast or throw something.
jud
law
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
conjunction - a word that joins parts of sentences; disjunction - a disconnection; junction - a place where two things join.
juven
young
juvenile - youthful or childish; rejuvenate - to bring back to youthful strength or appearance.
kilo
thousand
kilobyte - 1,000 bytes; kilometer - 1,000 meter; kilograms - 1,000 grams.
kine/t
/mat
/mat
motion, division
kinetics - study of the force of motion; psychokinesis or telekinesis - the ability to move objects with your mind; cinematography - motion picture making.
lab
work
collaborate - to work with a person; elaborate - to work out the details; laborious - requiring a lot of hard work.
lact/o
milk
lactate - to give milk, nurse; lactose - the sugar contained in milk; lactic acid.
later
side
bilateral - of or involving two sides; unilateral - affecting one side of something.
leuk/o,
leuc/o
leuc/o
white, colorless
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
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
liberate - to set free; libertine - a person with a free, wild lifestyle; liberty - freedom.
lingu
language, tongue
linguist - one who studies languages; multilingual - able to communicate in multiple languages; linguine - long, flat "tongue-shaped" pasta.
lip/o
fat
liposuction - the mechanical removal of fat reserves in the tissue; lipase - enzyme that breaks down fat; lipoid - resembling fat.
lite, ite,
lith/o
lith/o
mineral, rock, fossil
apatite - a group of common minerals; granite - a hard, granular rock; monolith - a remarkable, unique stone.
loc
place
dislocate - to put something out of its usual place; location - a place; relocate - to move to a new place.
log/o
word, doctrine, discourse
logic - correct reasoning; monologue - a long speech by one speaker;analogy - similarity, especially between things otherwise dissimilar.
loqu, locu
speak
eloquent - speaking beautifully and forcefully ; loquacious - very talkative; elocution - art of public speaking.
luc
light
elucidate - to explain, to throw light on; lucid - easily understood, giving off light; translucent - allowing light through.
lud, lus
to play
prelude - introduction to the major performance; illusion - misleading optical image or impression; delude - to mislead, deceive.
lumin
light
illuminate - to fill with light; lumen - unit measuring light.
lun/a/i
moon
lunar - relating to the moon; lunarscape - the surface of the moon; lunatic - insane (as if driven mad by the moon).
macro
large, great
macroevolution - large scale evolution; macromolecule - a large molecule; macroeconomics - study of the overall forces of economy.
magn/a/i
great, large
magnify - make larger; magnificent - grand; magnate - a powerful person, especially in business or industry.
mal/e
bad, ill, wrong
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
maneuver - to move by hand; manual - done with the hands; manuscript - a book written by hand.
mand
to order
command - an order or instruction; demand - a hard-to-ignore order; mandate - an official order.
mania
madness, insanity,
excessive desire
bibliomania - a crazy love of books; egomania - a mad love of oneself; maniac an insane person.
mar/i
sea
marina - a harbor for pleasure boats; maritime - relating to the sea; submarine - an undersea boat; aquamarine - color of sea water.
mater,
matr/i
matr/i
mother
maternal - relating to motherhood; maternity - the state of being a mother; matriarch - a woman head of a household.
max
greatest
maximal - the best or greatest possible; maximize - to make as great as possible; maximum - the greatest amount.
medi
middle
medieval - pertaining to the Middle Ages; medium - in the middle; mediocre - only of medium (inferior) quality.
mega
great, large, million
megalopolis - an area with many nearby cities; megaphone - a device that projects a loud voice; megastructure - huge building or other structure.
melan/o
black
melancholy - a state of dark emotions; melanoma - malignant dark tumor of the skin; melodrama - a dark, pathetic drama.
memor/i
remember
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
mers
dip, dive
immerge or immerse - to put or dip something into a liquid; submerge to dip something completely into wate.r
meso
middle
Mesoamerica - Middle America; meson - elementary particle with a mass between an electron and a proton.
meta
change, after, beyond, between
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
metr/y
measure
audiometer- an instrument that measures hearing acuteness; chronometer- an instrument that measures time; metric - measured.
micro
very small, short, minute
microbe - a very small living thing; microchip - a tiny wafer with an integrated circuit; microscope - a device to see very small things.
mid
middle
midriff - the area between the chest and the waist; midterm - middle of a term in school; midway - halfway between.
migr
move
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
millimeter - one thousandth of a meter; millibar - one thousandth of a bar; milliliter - one thousandth of a liter.
min/i
small, less
mini - something that is very small; minuscule - extremely tiny; minutiae - very small or trivial details.
mis/o
bad, badly, wrong, wrongly,
to hate
misbehave - to behave badly; misprint - an error in printing; misnomer - an error in naming a person or thing.
miss, mit
send, let go
dismiss - to send someone away; missile - a weapon sent into the air; emit - to send something out; admittance - entry.
mob
move
immobilize - to stop from moving; mobile - able to move freely; mobility - the quality of being able to move.
mon/o
one, single, alone
monochromat - having one color; monologue - a speech spoken by one person; monotheism - belief in one god.
mot, mov
move
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
metamorphosis - complete change of form; endorphins - chemical in the brain able to transform pain; amorphous - without distinct shape or form.
mort
death
immortal - living forever, unable to die; mortal - certain to die; mortician - an undertaker.
multi
many, more than one or two
multicolored - having many colors; multimedia - using a range of media; multitasking - doing many things at once.
mut
change
immutable - not changing; mutant - an organism that has undergone change; mutate - to undergo a change.
my/o
muscle
myocardium - the middle muscle of the heart; myasthenia - muscle fatigue or weakness; myosin - common protein in muscle tissue.
narr
tell
narrate - to tell a story; narrative - a story; narrator - a person who tells a story.
nat
born
innate - included since birth; natal - relating to birth; natural - gotten at birth, not afterward.
nav
ship
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
necrophil - loving death; necrosis - the death of tissue due to disease or injury; necrology - a list of persons who have recently died.
neg
no
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
nephritis - inflammation of the kidneys; nephrotomy - surgical incision of a kidney; nephron - a single, excretory unit in the kidney.
neur/o
nerve
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
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
nondescript - with no special characteristics; nonfiction - true, real, not made-up; nonsense - without sense.
not
mark
notable - marked as worthy of attention; notarize - to certify a signature on a legal document; annotate - to add remarks.
noun,
nunc
nunc
declare
announce - to declare in public; denounce - to proclaim harsh criticism; enunciate - to speak or declare something clearly.
nov
new
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
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
object - to be against something; obscure - hard to understand; opposition - the act of resistance or action against.
oct/a/o
eight
octagon - a figure with 8 sides and 8 angles; octogenarian - person in his or her 80s; octopus - sea animal with 8 arms.
ocu
eye
binoculars - lens device for seeing distances; monocula - relating to one eye; oculist - an eye doctor.
omni
all
omnipotent - with all the power; omniscient - knowing all things; omnivorous eating all foods.
op/t/s
eye, visual condition, sight
optic - relating to the eyes; optician - a person who fits eyeglasses; autopsy - the examination of a dead body.
opt
best
optimal - the best, the most desirable; optimize - to make the best of; optimum - the best something could be.
ortho
straight
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
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
overconfident - more confident than is appropriate; overstock - more supplies than is desirable; overexcited - ,more excited than one should be.
oxy
sharp
oxymoron - combining two ideas that sharply contradict each other; oxydize - corrode a surface.
pale/o
ancient
paleontology - study of ancient fossils; paleography - the study of ancient forms of writing; Paleolithic - period of the Stone Age.
pan
all, any, everyone
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
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
patr/i
father
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
pedal - a lever pushed by the foot; pedestrian - one who walks; pedicure - cosmetic treatment of feet and toes.
pel
drive, force
compel - to force someone to act; expel - to drive someone out of a place; repel - to force back.
pent/a
five
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
peps
digestion
dyspepsia - abnormal digestion; peptic - aiding digestion; pepsin - a digestive enzyme.
per
through, throughout
permanent - lasting throughout all time; permeate - to spread throughout; persist - to continue for a long time; perennial - lasting through many years.
peri
around, enclosing
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
esophagus - muscular tube that carries food to the stomach; anthropophagy or sarcophagy - cannibalism; xylophagous - feeding on wood.
phil/o
love, friend
philanthropist - one who loves humanity; philology - the love of words; philosophy - the love of wisdom; bibliophil - loving books.
phon/o
/e/y
/e/y
sound
cacophony - loud, unpleasant sounds; microphone - a device that records and amplifies sound; phonetic - relating to human speech sounds.
phot/o
light
photogenic - caused by light; photograph - image made on light-sensitive film; photon - the smallest possible unit of light.
phyll/o
leaf
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
physical - relating to the body; physician - a doctor; physique - nature and shape of one's body.
phyt/o/e
plant, to grow
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
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.
pneum/o
breathing, lung, air, spirit
pneumonia - inflammation of the lungs; pneumatic - using the force of air; dyspnea - difficulty breathing.
pod/e
foot
podiatrist - a doctor for the feet; podium - a small platform to stand on; tripod - a stand or frame with 3 legs.
poli
city
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
polychrome - with many colors; polyglot - a person fluent in many languages; polygon - shape with 3 or more straight sides.
pon
place, put
opponent - a person who places him/herself against an action, idea, etc.; postpone - to put off doing something.
pop
people
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
export - to carry goods out of a place to another; portable - able to be carried; porter - a person who carries luggage.
pos
place, put
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
posthumous - after someone's death; postpone - to delay something; postscript - an addition to an already completed document.
pre
earlier, before, in front of
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
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
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
pseudonym - a fictitious name; pseudoscience - theories presumed without proof of a scientific nature; pseudopregnancy - a false pregnancy.
psych/o
mind, mental
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
pung
to fight
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
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
computer - an electronic thinking device; dispute - to disagree with what another person thinks; input - contribution of one's thinking.
pyr/o
fire, heat
pyrotechnics - the art of making fireworks; pyrometer - a thermometer for measuring high temperature; pyretic - relating to or producing fever.
quad/r/ri
four
quadrant - open space with buildings on 4 sides; quadrennium - period of 4 years; quadruped - a 4-footed animal.
quart
fourth
quarter - one fourth; quart - a fourth of a gallon; quartet - a musical composition or group involving 4 voices or instruments.
quin/t
five, fifth
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.
root
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
ramification - the resulting consequence of a decision; ramify - to spread or branch out; ramus - a branchlike part.
re
again, back, backward
rebound -to spring back again; rewind - to wind something backward; reaction: a response; recognize: to identify someone or something seen before.
reg
guide, rule
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
retroactive - relating to something in the past; retrogress - to go back to an earlier condition; retrospect - the remembering of past events.
rhin/o
nose
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
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
deride - to make fun of someone; ridicule - to make fun or mock; ridiculous - silly, causing laughter.
rrh/ea
/oea/ag
/oea/ag
flow, discharge
diarrhea - abnormally excessive bowl movement; hemorrhage - heavy blood flow; catarrh - inflammation of a mucous membrane, especially the nose and throat.
rub
red
ruby - deep red color and a precious stone of the same color; rubella - measles; bilirubin - reddish pigment in bile.
rupt
break, burst
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
sane - mentally healthy; sanitary - relating to cleanliness and health; sanitation - maintenance of public health and cleanliness.
scend
climb, go
ascend - to climb upward; crescendo - a climbing up of the volume of music; descend - to go or climb down.
sci
know
conscience - sense of knowing right from wrong; conscious - knowing what is happening; omniscient - knowing everything.
scler/o
hard
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
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
script
write, written
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
secede - to formally break away from; seclude - to keep away from; serum - a liquid isolated out of another.
sect
cut
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.
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
semiannual - every half year; semicircle - half a circle; semiconscious - partly conscious; semiannual - every half of a year.
sept/i
seven
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
conserve - to save or keep something safe; preserve - to save something; reservation - a place kept for a person.
sex
six
sextet or sextette - a composition or group of six, sextuple - sixfold; sexagenarian - person in his/her sixties.
sol
alone
desolate - lonely, dismal, gloomy; solitary - done alone, by yourself; solo - a performance done by one person alone.
sol
sun
solar - involving the sun; parasol - umbrella protecting from the sun; solarium - a room where one is exposed to sun light.
somn/I
sleep
insomnia - inability to fall asleep; somniloquy - talking in your sleep; somnolent - feeling sleepy.
son
sound
consonant - a speech sound; sonorous - producing loud, full, rich sounds; supersonic - faster than sound; unison - as one voice.
soph
wise
philosopher - a wise person; sophisticated - wise about the ways of the world; sophism - a clever but misleading argument.
spec/t,
spic
spic
see, look
circumspect - cautious, looking all around; retrospective - a looking back at past things; spectator - a person who sees an event.
sphere
ball
biosphere - the whole round surface of the earth; hemisphere - half the earth spherically shaped like a ball.
spir
breathe
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
stable - standing steady and firm; stagnant - standing still, not moving; stationary - at a standstill, fixed.
stell
star
constellation - a group of stars that forms a pattern; interstellar - between the stars; stellar - relating to stars.
struct
build
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
submarine - an underwater boat; submerge - to put underwater; substandard - inferior to accepted standards.
sum
highest
sum - the combined total of everything; summation - the total, highest amount; summit the highest point or top.
super
higher in quality
or quantity
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
/n/l/s
together, with, same
symmetry -similarity in size, form or arrangement; synergy - the combined effect; synchronize - to cause to occur at the same time.
tact, tang
touch
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
syntax - the systematic arrangement of words; taxonomy - the science of classification; ataxia - loss of the ability to coordinate muscle action.
techno
technique, skill
technology - the practical application of knowledge; technocracy - rule of technology; technologically - characterized by technology.
tel/e/o
far, distant, complete
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
contemporary - existing at the same time; temporal - relating to time; temporary - lasting for a limited time.
term/ina
end, limit
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
extraterrestrial - existing outside the earth; terrain - ground or land; territory - an area of land.
tetra
four
tetrapod - having 4 legs; tetrarchy - government by 4 rulers; tetrose - a monosaccharide with four carbon atoms.
the/o
god
monotheism - belief in one god; polytheism - worshiping more than one god; theology - the study of religion, god, etc.
therm/o
heat
thermal - relating to heat; thermos - an insulated jar that keeps heat in; thermostat - a device that controls heat.
tort
twist
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
detoxification - the process of removing poisons; toxic - poisonous; toxicology - the study of poisons; intoxicated - influenced by drugs.
tract
pull, drag
attract - to pull objects nearer; distract - to drag attention away from something; tractor - a motor vehicle that pulls things.
trans
across,beyond, through
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
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
ultrahigh - extremely high; ultramodern - more modern than anything else; ultrasonic - sound waves beyond human hearing.
un
not,opposite of, lacking
unabridged - not shortened; unfair - opposite of fair; unfriendly - lacking friendliness.
uni
one, single
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
suburb - residential area on the edge of a city; urban - relating to a city; urbanology - the study of city life.
vac
empty
evacuate - to empty a dangerous place; vacant - empty, not occupied; vacation - a time without work.
ven/t
come
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
veracious - truthful, honest; veracity - the truth; verify - to make sure that something is true.
verb
word
verbalize - to put into words; adverb - a word relating to a verb; proverb - a short saying that expresses a well-known truth.
vers,
vert
vert
turn
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
vice-president - the person next in rank to the president
vid
see
evident clearly seen
vince,
vic
vic
conquer
convince - to win someone over; invincible - not able to be conquered; victory - the conquest of an enemy.
vis, vid
see
vision - the ability to see; envision - to picture in the mind; evident - clearly visible.
viv/i
vit
vit
live, life
revival - the act of bringing back to life; vital - pertaining to live; vivacious - high-spirited and full of life.
voc/i
voice, call
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
benevolent - showing good will and kindness; volition - the act of making a choice or decision, voluntary - resulting from your own free will.
vor,
vour
vour
eat
carnivorous - meat-eating; voracious - desiring or eating food in great quantities; devour - to eat quickly.
xen/o
foreign
xenophobic - afraid of foreigners; xenogenesis - the creation of offspring that is completely different from either parent; xenophile - attracted to foreigners.
xer/o/I
dry
xerophyte - a plant that grows in dry climate; xerography - a dry photocopying process; xeric - requiring small amounts of moisture.
zo/o
animal life
zoology - study of animals; zooid - resembling an animal; zooplankton - minute floating aquatic animals.
zyg/o
pair
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.
