a-, an-

No, lacking, none 

ab-

Away from, out from

abyss-

Deep, bottomless 

ac-

To, toward

-aceus, -aceous

Of or pertaining to

acou-

Hearing

acr-, acro-

Extreme, peak 

actin-

A ray, spoke 

ad-

To, toward

adeno-

Gland

aero-

The air

agri-

Field, soil

-al

Having character of

alb-

White

-alexi

To ward off 

-algia

Pain

allo-

Other, different

alto-

High

ambi-

On both sides

ameb-

Change, alteration

amphi-, ampho-, amb-

Leading a double life, both

ana-

Up 

andro-

Masculine, man

anemo-

Wind

angio-

Vessel 

ante-

Before, ahead of time

antero-

Front

anth-

Flower

anthropo-

Man

anti-

Against 

ap-

To, toward

apic-

Tip, end

apo-

Off, away

-apsis

Juncture

aqu-

Water

arachn-

A spider

arch-

Primitive, ancient

arthro-

Joint 

aster-, astr-

Stars

atom-

Vapor

audi-

Hear

auto-

Self 

aux-

Grow, enlarge 

bactr-

Stick, club

barb-

Beard

baro-

Weight

bath-

Depth, height 

bene-

Well, good

bentho-

Depths 

bi-

Two, twice, double

bio-

Life, living 

-blast

Sprout, germ 

brachi-

Having arms

branchi-

Having fins

brev-

Short

bronch-

Windpipe

bryo-

Moss 

cala-

Insert

calor-

Heat

carb-

Coal, carbon 

cardi-

Heart

carn-

Meat

carp-

Fruit

carpal-

Wrist

cata-

Down 

caud-

Tail

cell-

Storeroom, chamber

-cene

New, recent

-centesis

A puncture

centi-

Hundredth

centr-

Center 

cephal-

Head 

ceric

Neck

chem-

Chemical 

chlor-

Green

choano-

Funnel

chondro-

Cartilage 

chord-

A string

chrom-

Color 

chym-

Juice

-cide

Killing

cili-

Hair 

circ-

Around, about 

circa-

A circle

cirro-

Hair like curls

clade-

Branch

cline-

A slope

cnido-

A nettle

co-

With, together 

cocc-

Seed

-coel

Hallow 

coel-

Hollow

coeno-

Common 

coit-

A coming together 

coleo-

A sheath 

coll-

Glue 

com-

With, together

con-

With, together

coni-

Cone

contra-

Against 

cope-

An oar 

corp-

Body

cortex-

Shell 

cosmo-

World, order, form

cotyl-

Cup

counter-

Against

crani-

The skull 

crypt-

Hidden, covered 

cumul-

Heaped

cuti-

Skin

-cycl

Ring, circle 

cyst-

Bladder, pouch

cyt-, cyte-

Cell, receptacle

dacty-

Finger

de-

Down, out 

de-

From, down, out 

deca-

Ten

deci-

Tenth

-del

Visible 

deliquese-

Become fluid

demi-

Half

dendro-

Tree 

dent-

Tooth

dentri-

Tree

derm-

Skin

detrit-

Wear off

deutero-

Second 

di-

Two, double 

dia-

Through, across

digit-

Finger, toe

-dilat

Expanded 

din-

Terrible

dino-

Terrible 

dis-

Apart ,out 

-diure

Urinate

dorm-

Sleep 

dors-

Back

du-, duo-

Two

-duct

Lead

dyan-

Dark blue

dynam-

Power

dys-

Ill, bad

ec-

Out of, outside

ecdys-

An escape

echin-

Spiny, prickly

eco-

House

ect-

Outside, without 

-ectomy

Removal of 

electro-

Electric, electricity

-ell 

Small 

-em

Made

-emia

Blood

en-

In, into

encephal-

Brain 

enchyma-

An infuision 

end-, ent-

Within, in 

enter-

Intestines 

entom-

Insect 

-eous

Nature of, like

epi-

On, above 

-err

Wander, go astray

erythro-

Red

estuar-

The sea 

ethno-

Race, people 

etho-

Custom, habiti

eu-

True 

eury-

Broad, wide 

ex-

Out of 

extra-

Beyond, outside of 

-fer

Bear, carry, produce

ferro-

Iron

fertil-

Fruitful 

fibr-

Fiber, thread

-fid, fis-

Divided, split

flagell-

Whip 

flect, flex

Bend

flor-

Flower

fluor-

Fluorine

foli-

Leaf

form-

Shape

fract-

Break

fusi-

A spindle

galact-, galax-

Milk, milky fluid

gamy-

Marriage

gastro-

Stomach 

-gen; -gine

Producer, farmer 

-gene, -geny

Origin 

geo-

Land, earth 

-gest

Carry, produce

glia-

Glue 

glob-

All, round

glomer-

A ball

glottis-

Mouth of windpipe

glyco-

Sweet 

gnatho-

Jaw

-gon

Angle, corner

-gony

Offspring, generation

grade

Step, division

-gram

Writing, record

-graphy, graph

Writing, record

-grav

Heavy

gross

Thick

gry-

Ring, circle, spiral

gymno-

Naked

gyn

Female 

haem-, men-

Blood

-hal, -hale

Breathe, breath

halo-

Sea, salt 

haplo-

Single 

hecto-

Hundred

helio

Sun 

-helminth

Worm

hemi-

Half

hepat-

Liver

herb-

Grass 

hermaphro-

Both male and female

hetero-

Different 

hex-

Six

hibern-

Winter

hipp-

Horse

hist-

Tissue

holo-

Entire, whole 

homin-

Man

homo-

Same 

hort-

Garden

hybrid

Mongrel

hydr-

Water

hygr-

Wet, moist

hyl-

matter

hyper-

Above, beyond, over

hypho-

Weaving

hypno-

Sleep

hypo-

Beneath, under, less

-ia, iasis

Disease of

ichthy-

Fish 

ign-

Fire

im-

Not

immuno-

Safe, free 

imuno-

Safe, free

in-

To, toward, into 

in-

Not, without 

-ine

Of, pertaining to

infra-

Below, beneath

inter-

Between 

intra-

Within, inside

intro-

Into, within

iodo-

Violet

-ion

Go, come

-ism

A state or condition

iso-

Equal, same 

itero- 

To repeat 

-itis

Inflammation, disease

karyo-

Nucleus 

kilo-

Thousand

kine-

Movement 

lachry

Tear

lact-

Milk

lamin-

Sheet, layer

lat-

Side, flank

lepido-

Scale 

-less

Without

leuc-

White, bright, light

liga-

Bound, tied 

lign-

Wood

limn-

Lake 

lin-

Line

lingu-

Tongue

lip-

Fat

liqu-

Become fluid

lith-, -lite

Stone, petrifying

littor-

Sea shore

loc-

Place

-logy

Study

lopho-

A crest, tuft 

lut-

Yellow 

-lysis, -lyte, -lyst, lyso-

Split 

macro-

Large 

mal-

Bad

malle-

Hammer

mamm-

Breast

marg-

Border, edge

marsupi-

A pouch or bag 

mast-

Breast

mechano-

An instrument 

med-

Middle

meg-

Great, million, large

meio-

Less 

mela-, melan-

Black, dark

mell-

Soft

menstru

Month 

-mer

A part

mere-

A part

mes-

Middle, half 

met-, meta-

Between, along after 

meteor-

Lofty, high, in air

-meter, -metr-

Measure 

micro-

Small 

mis-

Wrong, incorrect

-missi

Send 

mole-

Mass

mono-

One, single 

mont-

Mountain

morph-

Shape, form 

mort-

Death

mov-, mot

Move

multi-

Many

muta-

Change 

mutu-

Reciprocal

mycel-

Threadlike

mycet-, myco-

Fungus

myo-

Muscle

myria-

Many 

nas-

Nose 

nema-

Thread 

neo-

New, recent

nephro-

Kidney

-ner

Moist, liquid

neur-, nerv-

Nerve, tendon 

neutr-

Neither

neutro-

Neutral 

noci-

Harm 

noct-, nox-

Night 

-node

Knot

nom-

Name 

-nomy, -nome

Distribute, arrange, law

non-

Not 

noto-

Back

nuc-

Center

nucleo-

Nucleus 

ob-

Against

oct-

Eight

ocul-

Eye

odent-

Tooth

-oid

Similar in form or shape

olf-

Smell

oligio-

Few, small 

oligio-

Small, scant 

-oma

Tumor

omma- 

The eye  

omni

All

onco-

Tumor 

oo-

Egg

opercul-

A covering, lid 

opt-, -opay

Circle, round, ring

opthal

Eye, vision

orb-

Straight, correct, right

orth-

Mouth

-osis

Disease of

osmo-

Pushing 

osteo-

Bone

ov-

Sharp, acid, oxygen

ovum- / ovi-

Egg

oxy-

Sharp

pachy-

Thick 

paedo-

Child 

paleo-

Old, ancient

palm-

Broad, flat

pan-

All

par-

Beside, near, equal 

parous-

Bearing 

parsi-

Few 

partheno-

A virgin 

partur-

Giving birth

passeri-

A sparrow 

path-, -pathy

Disease, suffering

patri-

Father 

pedi-

Beginning, child

pellecid-

Transparent 

per-

Through, around 

perag-

The sea

peri-

Around, on all sides

perman-

Remaining 

permea-

Pass, go

phag-

Eat 

pheno-

Show, appear

phil-

Loving, fond of 

-phobia

Excessive fear of

phon-, phone

Sound

-phore

To carry 

photo-

Light 

phragmo-

A partition 

phyc-

Seaweed, algae

-phyll

Leaf

phylo-

Tribe

physi-

Nature, natural qualities

-phyte, phyt

Plant 

placo-

A plate

plan-

Roaming, wandering

plasm-, -plast

Form, formed into 

pleio-

More 

pleur- 

Rib, lung

pneumo-

Lungs, air

pod-

Foot 

poly-

Many, several

pom-

Fruit 

por-

Opening

port-

Carry

post-

After, behind 

pro-

Before, favoring 

proto-

First, primary 

pseud-

False, deceptive 

pter-

Having wings or fins 

pterido

Fern 

pulmo-

lung

puls-

Drive, push

pyr-

Heat, fire

quadr-

Four

quiesc-

Quiet, resting

quin-

Five

radi-

Ray, spoke of wheel

ratit-

Flat bottome 

re-

Again, back

rect-

Correct, right

ren-

Kidney

ret-

Net, made like a net

retro-

Backward 

-rhage

Flow

-rhaphy

Suture

-rhea

Flow

rhin-

Nose

rhiz-

Root 

rhodo-

Red 

rubr-

Red

sacc-

A sack 

sacchari-

Sugar 

salta-

Leap 

sapr-

Rotten

sarco-

Flesh

saur-

Lizard

schizo-

Split 

sci-

Know

scler-

Hard 

scope

Look, observe

-scribe, script

Write

semel-

Once 

semi-

Half 

sept-

Partition, seven

septic-

Infection

sex-

Six

simi-

Ape 

-sis

Condition, state of

socio-

A companion

solv-

Loosen, free

soma-

Body 

somn-

Sleep

son-

Sound

spasm-

Tightening

spec-, spic-

Look at

sperm-

Seed 

spher-

Ball

-spire

Breathe

spore-

Seed 

stalsis-

A constriction

stat-

Standing, placed

stell-

Stars

steno-

Narrow 

stereo-

Solid, in three dimensions

stern-

Breast, chest

stom-, stome-

Mouth 

-stomy

To make an opening into 

strat-

Layer

strict-

Drawn tight

styl-

Pillar

sub-

Under, below

super-, supra-

Over, above, on top 

sur-

Over, above, on top

sym-, syn-

Together 

tachy-

Quick, swift

tarso-

Ankle

tax-

Arrangement 

tele-

Far off, at a distance

telos-

An end 

terr-

Earth

tetan-

Rigid, tense

tetr-

Four

thall-

Young shoot

-theca

A cup, case

therm-

Heat 

thigmo-

A touch

thylaco-

Sac or pouch

-tom

Cut, slice

tono-

Stretched 

top-

Place

toti-

All 

toxic-

Poison

trachei-

Windpipe 

trans-

Across

tri-

Three 

trich-

Hair

trocho-

A wheel

trop-

Turning, changing

troph-

Food, nurishment

-tubul

A little pipe 

tunic-

A covering

turg-

Swollen 

tympan-

A drum

-ule

Diminutive

ultra-

Beyond

uro-

The tail

uni-

One

ur-

urine

utric-

A leather bag

vacu-

Empty 

vas-

Vessel 

vect-

Carry 

ven-, vent-

Come

ventr-

Belly

vestigi-

Trace 

vice-

In place of

vig-

Strong

vit-, viv-

Life

vitre-

Glass

vivi-

Alive 

volv-

Roll, wander

vor-

Devour, eat

xanth-

Yellow

xero-

Dry 

xyl-

Wood 

zea-

A grain 

zo-, zoa-

Animal 

zona

A belt

zyg-

Yolk

zym-

Yeast