Greek and Latin word roots for technical words
Knowledge of word roots such as these gives you an understanding of what may seem like meaningless
scientific names and technical terms. For instance, the genus name for the sunflower star, Pycnopodia, has
two parts: "pycno-" = dense and "pod-" = foot. This name refers to the many, densely packed rays of the
sunflower star.
a(n)- negative, without
ab- from, away
af- to, toward
amphi- both, double
ampulla- flask, bottle
andros- man, male
antho- flower
anthro- man, human
anti- against, opposite
arthron- joint
astro- star
aurum, aureas- gold, golden
auto- self
bi-, bin-, bis- two, twice
bios, biosis- life
blast- bud, germ; that which will generate
brachi- arm
brachy- short
branch- fin, gill
byssus- fine flax, cotton thread
calyx- cup, cover
cara- head, top
card- heart
cauda- tail
cephalo- head, with a head
choano- funnel
cilium- eyelash
clado- branch, twig, stem
cloaca- sewer, drain, canal
cnido- nettle
co-, cum- together, with
coelo- hollow, a cavity
chroma- color
crypto- hide, cover, conceal
cteno- comb
cyto- hollow place, vessel, cell
dactyl- finger
den(s,t)- tooth
derma- skin
deut- second
di- two, twice, double
diplo- twofold
neo- new, young, recent
nephro- kidney
nomen- name
noto- dorsal, back
occo- eye
oeco-, oeci- house, home
oligo- few, scanty
opistho- behind
ortho- straight
os- mouth
oss-, osteo- bone
ov(um)- egg
post- behind, after
pre- before
pro- before, in front of
pseudo- false
pler- wing, feather
pulmo- lung
pyeno- dense, thick
quadri- four
ren- kidney
retro- backward, behind
schizo- cleft, split
scler- hard, tough
semi- half, part
seta- bristle
sinus- pocket, hollow
siphon- pipe, bent tube
som(a)- body
stom(a)- mouth
sub- under, below
super- over, above
sym-, syn- together, with
tax(o)- arrange, classify, place
tegumen- covering
tetra- four
tri- three
troch- round or circular, wheel
troph- food
tunic- cloak, garment
uni- one, single
uro- urine, tail
velum- curtain, veil, sail
viridis- green vita- life
vitell- yolk
viv(a,i)- alive, living
zo(on)- animal
Reference
Brown, R.W. (1954) Baltimore. Composition of Scientific Words.
George W. King Printing Co. Baltimore