Root Word List
One of the most difficult things about studying science (especially biology and medicine) is the many names and terms that seem difficult. Most of them are based on Latin or Greek words. By using the following glossary you may be able to figure the meaning of many of these terms as you come across them, which might help you to understand them and learn them. Keep this packet in your science notebook.
A
a- or anabacroacuadaer-, aeroalbualg-, -algia alloalveolambi-, amphiamylanaanemo angioannel antho-, -anth anthro-, anthropoantiante-, anteroapoaqua arachnarch-, archaeoarthroarteri-ase -asis, -osis aster, astroatmoaudi-, audioautoauxwithout, lack of, not away from height, extremity needle, sharp toward, near, on air white pain different a cavity both starch up, back, or apart wind, moving air vessel, case, closed ring flower human against, opposed to before, forward away from, separation water spider ancient, beginning joint, jointed artery an enzyme state of, condition of star breath hear self grow, enlarge carcincardicarncarp- (-carp) catacaudacaus-cele -centesis centicentricephalcereb-, cerebrocervicchiasmchelchemochlorchoanocholechondrochord chrom-, chromatchym-cide ciliacircumcoccocochlcoelo-, celocoitcollco-, con-, com-, cocontracorpor-, corpus cost cotyl craniocrypto-cule cuticyancyclocysto-, cystcyt-, cyto-, -cyte tumor heart flesh wrist (fruit) down stem burn tumor or swelling puncture, tap hundredth center; at the center head brain neck marked crosswise claw by chemicals green a funnel bile cartilage string color juice kill, destroy hair around berry snail hollow, cavity a coming together glue with, together against, opposite body ribs cup head, skull hidden little skin blue circle bag cell
B
bacbenthobi-, bisbioblasto-, -blast blepherobotbrachibradybrevibronchi bry-, bryo rod, stick depths (of the sea) double, twice, two life germ eyelid graze, feed arm slow short windpipe moss or grow
D
dactyldedecadecideuterodemidemodendrfinger away from, down from ten tenth second half people tree
C
capi-, capitcalorcapsacarbhair, head heat a box coal
dent-, -dont derm, dermat-desmadextro di-, diplo-, dichodiadinodisdorsduct -dynia dys-
teeth skin band, bond right (not left, that is) double, two through terrible apart, reversal OR bad back lead pain bad, difficult, painful
gon-graph, -gram gymngyn-
sex or seed writing, description naked female
H
haplhelichelminth hemihem-, hemathepatherbheterohibernahistohomo-, homeohominhormonohydrohyperhypohystero-, hystsingle a spiral type of worm half blood liver non-woody plant unlike; other winter tissue similar OR man man excite water OR hydrogen over, above, excessive under, below uterus
E
e-, ex-, ecechinoeco-, oecoecto-elle em-, en-emia enantiencephaloendoenterepiequiergo-, -rgy erythrex-, extraeuout, away from spiny house outside small in, into blood condition opposite brain within intestine upon, on, beside equal energy OR organ red outside, beyond true, good
I
ichthyidioim-, in-, immunoinfrainsula intrainter -ism iso-ist -ite -itis -ize fish distinct one into, in (OR without) safe, free below, beneath island within between condition, doctrine equal, same one who like, similar to inflamed condition combine with; to treat
F
-fer, -ferent ferrofibrfissflagelflexflu-, flux foli- (with 1 L) folli- (with 2 Ls) for-form -fuge fusicarry or bear iron fibers split whip bend flow plant, leaf bag, sac before shaped like expelling a spindle
J&K
juxta-, junct -karyo kilokino-, kine-, kinesionear nucleus 1000 move
G
gameto-gamy gangliogastrogen-, -gen, -genesis geogerm gest -glia glob glosso-, -glotti gluc-, glycgnath reproductive cell marriage knot stomach to produce; born; offspring earth seed carried glue ball tongue sugar, sweet the jaw
L
labilactlaminlarynglaterlepidoleuco-, leuk-, leukoligalingua lipo-lith limnlips milk sheet, layer larynx side a scale white bind tongue fat stone a lake
littorloco-, loca-logy lopholyso-, -lyte, -lysis, lyto-
the seashore place study of a crest, tuft breakdown, dissolve
M
macromagnamal-malacia mamm-, mast-mania marsupimed-, mediomedulla mega megaly meiomela-, melanomer meri-, meristomesometameter mitomicromonomorph multimutamyco myelomyobig, large great, large bad, poor softening breast madness bag, pouch middle marrow large enlargement less black part divide middle beyond/after OR change measure thread small one form many change fungus spinal cord or bone marrow muscle
ooop-, opto-, opthalmooperculoro-, ora-, os ortho-osis os-, osteo-ostomy, -otomy osculot-, oto-ous ovi-, ova-
egg eye a covering, lid mouth straight disease, condition bone to make an opening into a little mouth ear full of; similar to egg
P
paleo-palp palpitpanparapar-, paro, -parous path, patho pedpaed, paedopelag-penia perperforaperiphago-, -phage -phaspheno-phil-, phleb, phlebo-phobia phone -phore photophrephyll (2 Ls) phylo- (1 L) phyto-, -phyte pil-, pilo-, pillopinoplacoplankt-, plas-, -plasia, plasm -plasty platy -plegia pleiopluripne-, pneupneumopod-, podipoiepolypom -pore, poropost-potentpre-, proproctoprotopseudoancient lip flutter all beside, beyond; or, against to bear, to bring forth disease, suffer foot (or child, sometimes) child the sea decrease by, with bore through around eat speak appear attraction to, love vein fear sound carry, bearer light diaphragm OR mind leaf tribe plant hair drink a plate wandering form, grow repair, reconstruction flat, broad paralyze more many breath lung, air foot make many apple passage after, behind powerful before, in front of, forward anus first false
N
narconasonecronemato neo neph-, nephroneuroneutronitronocinoctinomo-, -nomy nonnotonucleostupor, numbness nose death thread new kidney nerve neither nitrogen harm night name not back walnut, kernel
O
oboculo-oid, -ous, -ode oligoolfact-oma omniagainst eye like, full of, resembling few smell tumor all
psych-pter-ptosis pulmopyopyro-
mind wing fall, drop lung pus fire, fever
Q&R
quad, quadriradiorerenretro-rhea rhin-, rhinorhizofour wheel, spoke, ray back, again kidneys backward, located behind discharge nose root
thiothoracthrombothylacothyro-tion -tom, -tomy topototitoxi trachetranstritrochotropo-, -trope, -trophy tympan turg-
sulfur chest a clot sac, pouch oval shield process of cutting place all poison windpipe across, through, beyond three a wheel nutrition, growth; or, turning drum swollen
S
saccharsaltasapiens sapro-saurschizscleroscolio-scope sectsemen, semin semiseptic -simisoma-, somato-, -some soph -spasm specisperm, spermatospiro-, spirasplenosporostamen -stasis, -stat, statostenostimul -stomsubsuper-, suprasym-, synsugar leap thinking rotten lizard split hard twisted examine; to show cut seed half rotted an ape body wisdom/knowledge to cramp or convulse type seed breathe spleen seed threads standing, stoppage, balance narrow tease, touch mouth rear, less than, below above or excessive similar, with
U
ultraununiururo-, -uria beyond, excess not, back one earliest tail (or urine)
V
vaccivacuvario vas, vasovenventrvermi vertvestigiviru virulvis-, vidviv, vivivort-, -volv -vore, -vorous cow empty change vessel, duct, vein vein stomach worm to change or turn trace slime, ooze poisonous see living to change or turn eat
X&Z
xanthoxeroxylo zonazoozygozyme yellow dry phone a belt animal united or yolk ferment, leaven
T
tachy tars taxotele-, teloten teno-, tendotetan tetratherap-therm, thermothigmofast ankle, foot arrangement end to hold fast stretching spasm four treatment heat a touch
Extras
