English is an Aryan Language and has its roots in many old Aryan languages especially German, Green and Latin.
Most of the English words are a combination of basic words and additional prefixes and suffixes.
These roots are the basis of new words and help understand the complex words.
For a deeper understanding of the English vocabulary, sound knowledge of word roots is imperative.
| 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; |
| 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 |
| 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, Ceiv | take, hold | Latin | intercept - to stop or interrupt;perceive - to take notice of something; captivating - taking hold of |
| 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 |
| Cede, Ceed, Cess | go, yield | Latin | exceed - to go beyond the limits; recede - to go back; accessible - easily entered, approached, or obtained; |
| 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. |
| 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, Plo | 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. |
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