Latin and Greek words

A

a, an – without

-a – plural form of word   Often used with words ending in “-ium”such as “aquaria’ means more than one aquarium

ab – away from

ad, af – near, toward

aero – air, height

alb – white

-algia – pain

alt – high

ambi – both sides

ang – bent

angi – vessel

ante – before

anti – against

anthr – human

aqua – water

archae – ancient

-arium – place for

arthr – joint

-ase – enzyme

aster, astr – star

aud – to hear

auto – self

B

bar – weight

bi – two

bio – life

-blast – that which will germinate

brachi – arm

C

card, cardi – heart

caryo – nucleus of cell

centi – 1/100  one hundredth

centum – 100

centr – center

cephal, cephalo – head

cerebr – brain

chiro – hand

chlor, chloro – green

chondr – cartilage

chrom, chromo – color

chron – time

-cide – kill

circ, circum – around

-cise – cut

coel – cavity

co, com, con – with

costa – rib

cyano – blue

cycl – circle

cyst – capsule

cyt – cell

D

deca – 10

deci – 1/10  one tenth

decid – to put off

dendr – tree

dent, dont – tooth, teeth

derm – skin

di – two

dis – apart

dys – ill, bad

E

eco, ecol – household

ecto – outer

-ectomy – removal

em, en – in

-emia – blood

endo – inner

enter – intestine

epi – on, at, beside, upon

erythro – red

eu – true

ex – out

extra – outside

F

fer – bearer

fin – to end

frac – break

fum – smoke, scent

G

gastr, gastro – stomach

gen – birth, producing

geo – earth

gram, graph – write, draw, record

gravi – heavy

gymno – naked

H

hecto – 100

helio - sun

hem, hemo – blood

hemi – half

herb – non-woody plant

hepato – liver

heter, hetero – other, different

hom – man

homo, homeo – same

hydr, hydro – water

hyper – above, excessive

hypno – sleep

hypo – below, not enough

I

-ia, -iasis – disease

-ic – condition of

ichthys – fish

inter – between

intra – within

-ism – toward

iso – same

-ist – practices

-ite – rock, mineral

-itis – inflammation of

J

K

kilo – 1000

kin – motion

L

lac – milk

leuco, leuko – white

lev – to raise, lift

logy – study of

luc – light

lum – to shine

-lysis – dissolving

M

macro – large

mal – bad

mar – sea

max – greatest

med, medi – middle

mega – very large

melan – black

meso – middle

meta – beyond or after

meter, metr – measure

micro – small

migr – to move, travel

milli – 1/1000  one thousandth

miss – send

mito – thread

mono – one

morph – shape, form

mov, mot. mob – to move

myo – muscle

N

nano – 1/1,000,000,000  one billionth

nema – thread

nephr – kidney

noc, nox – night, harm

neur, nerv – nerve

O

-oid – like, form of

-ol – alcohol

oligo – small

-ology – study of

-oma – tumor or swelling

omni – all

opt, opth – eye

orni – bird

ortho – straight

-ory – place for

-osis – act, condition

osteo – bone

oto – ear

ovi, oo – egg

P

pan – all

para – beside, near

path, -pathy – disease

ped, pod – foot

peri – around

phago – eating

pheno – to show

phobia – fear

phon – sound, voice

photo – light

phyll – leaf

phyto – plant

pino – to drink

plasma – form

-plast – particle

poly – many

post – after, behind

proto – first

pseudo – false

phys – nature of

psych – mind

pter – wing

pulmo – lung

pyr – fire

Q

quan – how much

R

rad – ray, spoke (as in a wheel)

re, retro – back

renal – kidney

rhea, rrhea – flow or discharge

rhino – nose

S

sal – salt

sci – know

sclero – hard

scope – instrument, to see

-sect – cut

semi – half

sol - sun

som, soma – body

son – sound

sphere - round

stom – mouth

sub – under

sym, syn – binding, with

T

tele – distance

terr – land

therm – heat

tract – to pull, draw

trans – across

tri – three

trop, tropi – turn

troph – nourishment

U

V

vac – empty

vers, vert – to turn

vis, vid – to see, to look

vic, vok – voice, call

viv – living

vor, vore – to eat or devour

W

X

xanth – yellow

xeros – dry

xyl – wood

Y

Z

zo – animal

zyg – united