Greek & Latin Root Words Commonly Used in Forming Scientific Terms
Root (Source)
Meaning
Example(s)
a, an (G)
ab (G)
ad, ac, af, ag, ap, as, at (L)
Without, not
Away from
To, toward, attached to
ambi (L)
amphi (G)
ana (G)
andro (G)
ante (L)
anti (G)
apo (G)
aqua (L)
archeo (G)
On both sides
Both, doubly
apart
Male, masculine
Before, in front of
against
From, away from
water
Original, ancient
arthro (G)
auto (G)
bi (L)
bio (G)
brady (G)
cephal, cephalo (L)
chromo (G)
cide (L)
circum, circa (L)
cle (L)
con, co, col, com, cor, cum (L)
joint
self
Two, twice, double
Life, living
slow
head
color
Killer, killing
Around, about
small
With, together
Abiotic, anaerobic, asymmetry, atropy
Abduction, aberration, aboral
Adduction, accretion, addicted, afferent,
aggregate
Ambidextrous, ambivalent
Amphibian, amphiblastula
anatomy
Androgen, android, Andros
Antedate, anteflexion, anterior
Antibody, antigen
Apochromatic, aponeurosis, apoplexy
Aqueous, aquifer
Archaeopteryx, archegonium, archeneteron,
archeology
Arthritis, arthrology, arthropod
Autogenous, automatic, autonomic
Bilateral, bipedal, bipinnate, bivalve
Biogenesis, biogeography, biology
bradycardia
Cephalic, cephalothorax
Chromatin, chromosome
Herbicide, insecticide, pesticide
Circadian, circumference
corpuscle
Coenzyme, collapse, commensal, contract,
correlate, cumulative
Root (source)
Meaning
Example(s)
corpus (L)
crypto (G)
cyte, cyto (G)
derm, dermis (G)
di (G)
dia (G)
ducere, duct (L)
dura (L)
dys (G)
e, ec, ef, ex (L)
body
hidden
Cell, hollow
skin
Two, double
Across, through
To lead, to carry
hard
bad
Out of, from
ecto (G)
ella, elle G)
endon, endo (G)
entomon (G)
epi (G)
erythros (G)
exo (G)
extra (L)
ferre, fer (L)
gam, gamo G)
genesis, genic (L)
Outside of, external
small
In, internal
insect
Upon, above
red
Outer, external
Outside of, beyond
To carry
Marriage, sexual
Origin, birth, producing
genos, gen, geny (G)
herba (L)
Race, kind
Grass, plants
Corpus luteum, corpuscles
Cryptic, cryptogram, cryptorchidism
Cytoplasm, leukocyte
Dermal, Echinodermata, ectoderm
Diatom, dihybrid, disaccharide
Diagonal, diameter, diaphragm
Abduct, aquaduct, oviduct
Durable, dura mater
Dysentery, dysfunction, dystrophy
Eccentric, efferent, emit, excise, excretion, exit,
extinction
Ectocarpus, ectoparasite, ectoplasm
organelle
Endoderm, endoparasite, endosperm
entomology
Epidermis, epigenesis, epiphyte
Erythrocyte, phycoerythrin
Exoskeleton, exothermic
Extracellular, extracurricular
Afferent, efferent
Gamete, gametophyte, gamogenesis
Carcinogenic, cytogenic, mutagenic,
parthenogenesis
Genealogy, genetics, genotype
Herbaceous, herbal, herbivore
Root (source)
Meaning
Example(s)
heteros (G)
Different, other
homo (G)
homos, homeos (G)
man
Alike, same
hyper (G)
hypo (G)
intra (L)
intro (L)
logos, logy (G)
lys, lysis (L)
meta (G)
micros, micro (G)
monos (G)
Above, beyond
Below, under
Within, inside
Into, within
The study of
To break, dissolution, destruction
After, change
small
One, single
morphe (G)
nephros (G)
neuro (G)
odonto (G)
ole (L)
oo (G)
osteon, os (G)
ovum, ovi (L)
para (G)
pathos (G)
pedi (G)
Form, shape
kidney
nerve
tooth
small
Beginning, egg
bone
egg
Beside, near
Disease, suffering
Beginning, child
Heterogamy, heterotrophic, heterosexual,
heterozygous
Hominid, Homo sapiens
Homeostasis, homogeneous, homologous,
homozygous
Hyperactive, hyperglycemia, hypertonic
Hypodermic, hypoglycemia, hypotonic
intracellular
introversion
Biology, zoology
Hemolysis, hydrolysis, lysosome, plasmolysis
Metaphase, metamorphosis
Microscope, microbe, microspore
Monocle, monocular, monocotyledon,
monoecious
Ectomorph, lagomorph, morphology
Nephridia, nephron, nephrostome
Neurology, neuromuscular, neuron
Macrodont, odontology
petiole
Oocyte, oogenesis
Osteoblast, osteoclast, osteocyte
Ovary, oviduct, ovipositor, ovule
Paramedic, paranoid, parasite
Empathy, osteopathy, sympathy
Pediatrician, pediatrics, pedigree
Root (source)
Meaning
Example(s)
peri (G)
pes, pedis, pod (L)
post (L)
pseudes, pseudo (G)
re, reflectere (L)
sapiens, sapere (L)
semi (L)
skleros (G)
skopion, skopos (G)
soma (G)
sub, sup (L)
super (L)
supra (L)
syn, syl, sym (G)
tachy, tachos (G)
tetra (L)
thesis (L)
tox, toxikon (G)
tri (L)
trophe (G)
ula, ule, ulus (L)
ultra (L)
uni, unus (L)
xeros (G)
zo, zoon (G)
zygotes (G)
around
foot
After, behind
false
Back, again
Knowing, wise
half
hard
To look, to behold, to see
body
Below, under, smaller than
Above, upon
Above, upon
With, together
Fast, speed
four
Put, lay down
poison
three
To feed
small
beyond
one
dry
animal
United, joined
Perianth, pericardium, pericarp
Bipedal, pedal, pseudopod
Posterior, postnatal, postpartum
pseudopodium
Reflex, regeneration, reproduction
Homo sapiens
Semicircle, semilunar
Sclera, sclerenchyma, sclerotic
Kaleidoscope, microscope, telescope
Cetrosome, lysosome, somatic, somite
Subspecies, supination
Supercerebral, superior
Supraorbital, suprarenal
Syllergism, symbiosis, synthesis
Tachometer, tachycardia
Tetraspore, tetrapod
photosynthesis
Antitoxin, toxic, toxin
Triploid, tripod
Autotroph, dystrophy, heterotroph
Granule, glomerulus
ultrafiltration
Unicellular, uniform, united
Xeric, xerophyte
Holozoic, protozoa, zoology, zoospore
Heterozygous, zygosity, zygote