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-, audioautoaux-
without, 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
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
C
capi-, capitcalorcapsacarb-
hair, head
heat
a box
coal
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
D
dactyldedecadecideuterodemidemodendr-
finger
away from, down from
ten
tenth
second
half
people
tree
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
E
e-, ex-, ecechinoeco-, oecoecto-elle
em-, en-emia
enantiencephaloendoenterepiequiergo-, -rgy
erythrex-, extraeu-
out, 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
F
-fer, -ferent
ferrofibrfissflagelflexflu-, flux
foli- (with 1 L)
folli- (with 2 L’s)
for-form
-fuge
fusi-
carry or bear
iron
fibers
split
whip
bend
flow
plant, leaf
bag, sac
before
shaped like
expelling
a spindle
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
gon-graph, -gram
gymngyn-
sex or seed
writing, description
naked
female
H
haplhelichelminth
hemihem-, hemathepatherbheterohibernahistohomo-, homeohominhormonohydrohyperhypohystero-, hyst-
single
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
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
J&K
juxta-, junct
-karyo
kilokino-, kine-, kinesio-
near
nucleus
1000
move
L
labilactlaminlarynglaterlepidoleuco-, leuk-, leukoligalingua
lipo-lith
limn-
lips
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
myelomyo-
big, 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
N
narconasonecronemato
neo
neph-, nephroneuroneutronitronocinoctinomo-, -nomy
nonnotonucleo-
stupor, numbness
nose
death
thread
new
kidney
nerve
neither
nitrogen
harm
night
name
not
back
walnut, kernel
O
oboculo-oid, -ous, -ode
oligoolfact-oma
omni-
against
eye
like, full of, resembling
few
smell
tumor
all
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 L’s)
phylo- (1 L)
phyto-, -phyte
pil-, pilo-, pillopinoplacoplankt-,
plas-, -plasia, plasm
-plasty
platy
-plegia
pleiopluripne-, pneupneumopod-, podipoiepolypom
-pore, poropost-potentpre-, proproctoprotopseudo-
ancient
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
psych-pter-ptosis
pulmopyopyro-
mind
wing
fall, drop
lung
pus
fire, fever
Q&R
quad, quadriradiorerenretro-rhea
rhin-, rhinorhizo-
four
wheel, spoke, ray
back, again
kidneys
backward, located behind
discharge
nose
root
sugar
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
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, thermothigmo-
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
U
S
saccharsaltasapiens
sapro-saurschizscleroscolio-scope
sectsemen, semin
semiseptic
-simisoma-, somato-, -some
soph
-spasm
specisperm, spermatospiro-, spirasplenosporostamen
-stasis, -stat, statostenostimul
-stomsubsuper-, suprasym-, syn-
thiothoracthrombothylacothyro-tion
-tom, -tomy
topototitoxi
trachetranstritrochotropo-, -trope, -trophy
tympan
turg-
fast
ankle, foot
arrangement
end
to hold fast
stretching
spasm
four
treatment
heat
a touch
Extras