Vocabulary Root Words

Keep this list in your notebook.

Latin roots are present in many of our English language words, especially in science. Whenever you encounter a new term in this class you break down the word into its parts and use these prefixes, suffixes, and stems to figure out its meaning. You will have a vocabulary quiz EVERYTuesday.

Section 1

a-, an-no; lacking; none-algia pain

ab-away from; out fromamphibi-double life

ac-to; towardan-not; without

acou-hearingana-up

adeno- glandangiovessel

agri- field, soilanthoflower

-alhaving character ofanti-against

alb- white

Section 2

anthropo- man

aqu-waterbene-well; good

archaeo-primitive, ancientbi-two, twice

arthro- jointbio-life, living

aster; astrostarsbrachi-having arms

audi-hearbranchi-having fins

auto-selfbronchi- windpipe

baro-weightcalor-heat

Section 3

cardi-heartchem-refers to chemistry

carpalwristchlor-green

caud-tailchrom-color

cell-chamber-cidekilling

centi-hundredthcircumaround, about

centr-centerco-with, together

cephal-headcocc-seed

cervic-neck

Section 4

contra-againstdemi-half

cosmo-world; orderdendr-tree

cotyl-cupdent-tooth

-cyclyring, circlederm-skin

cyst-bladder, pouchdi-two

-cytecell, receptacledia-across

dactyl-fingerdigitfinger, toe

deca-ten

Section 5

dis-apart, outen-in; into

dorm-sleepencephal-brain

dors-backend; entwithin

-ductleadenter-intestines

echin- spiny, pricklyethno-race, people

eco-houseextra-outside

ect-outsideex- out of

electro-electricity

Section 6

-fid; fis-divided, splitgeo-land; earth

-flect; -flexbendglob-ball; round

flor-flower-gonangle; corner

fluor-fluorine-gonygeneration

foli-leaf-gradestep; division

fract-breakgrav-heavy

galact-milk, milky fluidgymno-naked

gastro-stomach

Section 7

gyn-femalehist-tissue

gyr-ring; circlehomo-man; same/alike

hem- bloodhydr-water

hepat-liverhypo-beneath, less

herb-grasshyper-above, over

hetero-different; otherichthy-fish

hex-sixim-not

hibern-winter

Section 8

in- to, not, toward, into-lesswithout

inter-betweenleuc-white; bright; light

intra-within, insidelingu-tongue

-isma state or conditionliqu-become fluid, liquid

iso-equal; samelip-fat

kilo-thousand-logystudy of

lact-milkmacr-large

lat-side; flat

Section 9

mamm-breastmicro-small

marg-border; edgemilli- thousandth

med-middlemis-wrong

meg-great; millionmito-thread; filament

mela-black; darkmole-mass

mes-middle; halfmono-one; single

meta-between; alongmov-move

meteor-lofty; high; in air

Section 10

morph- shape; formnuc-center

mycel-threadlikeocul-eye

myria-manyoct-eight

nemat-threadolf-smell

neo-new; recentomni-all

nephro-kidneyoo-egg

noct- nightopthal-eye

non-not

Section 11

orb-circle; ring-ped-foot

oscu-mouthpent-five

ov-eggper-through

oxy-sharp; acid; oxygenphag-feed; eat

paleo-old; ancientphil-living; fond of

palm-broad; flatphoto-light

pan-all-phyllleaf

path-disease; suffering

Section 12

physi-nature; qualitiesproto-first; primary

-phyt-plantpseud-false; deceptive

-podfootpulmo-lung

poly-many; severalpyr-heat; fire

pom-fruitquadr-four

pre-before; ahead of timequin-five

pro-forward; favoringre-again; back

procto-rectum; anus

Section 13

ren-kidneysemi-half; partly

rhin-nosesept-partition; seven

rhiz-rootsex-six

sapr-rottensol-sun

scler-hardsomn-sleep

sci-knowspec-look at

-scopelook; observesphere-ball

-scribewrite

Section 14

-spirebreathetarso-ankle

sporeseedtax-arrangement

stell-starstele-far off; at a distance

stern-breast; chestterr-earth

strat-layertetr-four

sub-under; belowtherm-heat

sur-over; above; on toptoxico-poison

sym; syntogether

Section 15

trans- acrossvas-vessel

tri-threeventr-belly

troph-one who feeds; well fedvit-life

ultra-beyondzo-animal

ur-urinezygo-yolk