This root word list provides definitions for common Latin and Greek roots found in scientific terms. Keeping this list in a science notebook can help students figure out the meanings of new terms by recognizing their component word parts. The list is organized alphabetically and provides brief, one-word definitions for each root.

1. 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
carcin- tumor
a- or an- without, lack of, not cardi- heart
ab- away from carn- flesh
acro- height, extremity carp- (-carp) wrist (fruit)
acu- needle, sharp cata- down
ad- toward, near, on cauda- stem
aer-, aero- air caus- burn
albu- white -cele tumor or swelling
alg-, -algia pain -centesis puncture, tap
allo- different centi- hundredth
alveol- a cavity centri- center; at the center
ambi-, amphi- both cephal- head
amyl- starch cereb-, cerebro- brain
ana- up, back, or apart cervic- neck
anemo wind, moving air chiasm- marked crosswise
angio- vessel, case, closed chel- claw
annel ring chemo- by chemicals
antho-, -anth flower chlor- green
anthro-, anthropo- human choano- a funnel
anti- against, opposed to chole- bile
ante-, antero- before, forward chondro- cartilage
apo- away from, separation chord string
aqua water chrom-, chromat- color
arachn- spider chym- juice
arch-, archaeo- ancient, beginning -cide kill, destroy
arthro- joint, jointed cilia- hair
arteri- artery circum- around
-ase an enzyme cocco- berry
-asis, -osis state of, condition of cochl- snail
aster, astro- star coelo-, celo- hollow, cavity
atmo- breath coit- a coming together
audi-, audio- hear coll- glue
auto- self co-, con-, com-, co- with, together
aux- grow, enlarge contra- against, opposite
corpor-, corpus body
cost ribs
B cotyl cup
cranio- head, skull
bac- rod, stick crypto- hidden
bentho- depths (of the sea) -cule little
bi-, bis- double, twice, two cuti- skin
bio- life cyan- blue
blasto-, -blast germ cyclo- circle
blephero- eyelid cysto-, cyst- bag
bot- graze, feed cyt-, cyto-, -cyte cell
brachi- arm
brady- slow
brevi- short D
bronchi windpipe
bry-, bryo moss or grow dactyl- finger
de- away from, down from
deca- ten
C deci- tenth
deutero- second
capi-, capit- hair, head demi- half
calor- heat demo- people
capsa- a box dendr- tree
carb- coal

2. dent-, -dont teeth gon- sex or seed
derm, dermat- skin -graph, -gram writing, description
-desma- band, bond gymn- naked
dextro right (not left, that is) gyn- female
di-, diplo-, dicho- double, two
dia- through
dino- terrible H
dis- apart, reversal OR bad
dors- back hapl- single
duct lead helic- a spiral
-dynia pain helminth type of worm
dys- bad, difficult, painful hemi- half
hem-, hemat- blood
hepat- liver
E herb- non-woody plant
hetero- unlike; other
e-, ex-, ec- out, away from hiberna- winter
echino- spiny histo- tissue
eco-, oeco- house homo-, homeo- similar OR man
ecto- outside homin- man
-elle small hormono- excite
em-, en- in, into hydro- water OR hydrogen
-emia blood condition hyper- over, above, excessive
enanti- opposite hypo- under, below
encephalo- brain hystero-, hyst- uterus
endo- within
enter- intestine
epi- upon, on, beside I
equi- equal
ergo-, -rgy energy OR organ ichthy- fish
erythr- red idio- distinct one
ex-, extra- outside, beyond im-, in-, into, in (OR without)
eu- true, good immuno- safe, free
infra- below, beneath
insula island
F intra- within
inter between
-fer, -ferent carry or bear -ism condition, doctrine
ferro- iron iso- equal, same
fibr- fibers -ist one who…
fiss- split -ite like, similar to
flagel- whip -itis inflamed condition
flex- bend -ize combine with; to treat
flu-, flux flow
foli- (with 1 L) plant, leaf
folli- (with 2 L’s) bag, sac J&K
for- before
-form shaped like juxta-, junct near
-fuge expelling -karyo nucleus
fusi- a spindle kilo- 1000
kino-, kine-, kinesio- move
G
L
gameto- reproductive cell
-gamy marriage labi- lips
ganglio- knot lact- milk
gastro- stomach lamin- sheet, layer
gen-, -gen, -genesis to produce; born; offspring laryng- larynx
geo- earth later- side
germ seed lepido- a scale
gest carried leuco-, leuk-, leuko- white
-glia glue liga- bind
glob ball lingua tongue
glosso-, -glotti tongue lipo- fat
gluc-, glyc- sugar, sweet -lith stone
gnath the jaw limn- a lake

3. littor- the seashore oo- egg
loco-, loca- place op-, opto-, opthalmo- eye
-logy study of opercul- a covering, lid
lopho- a crest, tuft oro-, ora-, os mouth
lyso-, -lyte, -lysis, lyto- breakdown, dissolve ortho- straight
-osis disease, condition
os-, osteo- bone
M -ostomy, -otomy to make an opening into
oscul- a little mouth
macro- big, large ot-, oto- ear
magna- great, large -ous full of; similar to
mal- bad, poor ovi-, ova- egg
-malacia softening
mamm-, mast- breast
-mania madness P
marsupi- bag, pouch
med-, medio- middle paleo- ancient
medulla marrow -palp lip
mega large palpit- flutter
megaly enlargement pan- all
meio- less para- beside, beyond; or, against
mela-, melano- black par-, paro, -parous to bear, to bring forth
mer part path, patho disease, suffer
meri-, meristo- divide ped- foot (or child, sometimes)
meso- middle paed, paedo- child
meta- beyond/after OR change pelag- the sea
meter measure -penia decrease
mito- thread per- by, with
micro- small perfora- bore through
mono- one peri- around
morph form phago-, -phage eat
multi- many -phas- speak
muta- change pheno- appear
myco fungus -phil-, attraction to, love
myelo- spinal cord or bone marrow phleb, phlebo- vein
myo- muscle -phobia fear
phone sound
-phore carry, bearer
N photo- light
phre- diaphragm OR mind
narco- stupor, numbness phyll (2 L’s) leaf
naso- nose phylo- (1 L) tribe
necro- death phyto-, -phyte plant
nemato thread pil-, pilo-, pillo- hair
neo new pino- drink
neph-, nephro- kidney placo- a plate
neuro- nerve plankt-, wandering
neutro- neither plas-, -plasia, plasm form, grow
nitro- nitrogen -plasty repair, reconstruction
noci- harm platy flat, broad
nocti- night -plegia paralyze
nomo-, -nomy name pleio- more
non- not pluri- many
noto- back pne-, pneu- breath
nucleo- walnut, kernel pneumo- lung, air
pod-, podi- foot
poie- make
poly- many
O pom apple
-pore, poro- passage
ob- against post- after, behind
oculo- eye -potent- powerful
-oid, -ous, -ode like, full of, resembling pre-, pro- before, in front of, forward
oligo- few procto- anus
olfact- smell proto- first
-oma tumor pseudo- false
omni- all

4. psych- mind thio- sulfur
-pter- wing thorac- chest
-ptosis fall, drop thrombo- a clot
pulmo- lung thylaco- sac, pouch
pyo- pus thyro- oval shield
pyro- fire, fever -tion process of
-tom, -tomy cutting
topo- place
Q&R toti- all
toxi poison
quad, quadri- four trache- windpipe
radio- wheel, spoke, ray trans- across, through, beyond
re- back, again tri- three
ren- kidneys trocho- a wheel
retro- backward, located behind tropo-, -trope, -trophy nutrition, growth; or, turning
-rhea discharge tympan drum
rhin-, rhino- nose turg- swollen
rhizo- root
U
S ultra- beyond, excess
un- not, back
sacchar- sugar
uni- one
salta- leap
ur- earliest
sapiens thinking
uro-, -uria tail (or urine)
sapro- rotten
-saur- lizard
schiz- split
V
sclero- hard
vacci- cow
scolio- twisted
vacu- empty
-scope examine; to show
vario change
sect- cut
vas, vaso- vessel, duct, vein
semen, semin seed
ven- vein
semi- half
ventr- stomach
septic rotted
vermi worm
-simi- an ape
vert- to change or turn
soma-, somato-, -some body
vestigi- trace
soph wisdom/knowledge
viru slime, ooze
-spasm to cramp or convulse
virul- poisonous
speci- type
vis-, vid- see
sperm, spermato- seed
viv, vivi- living
spiro-, spira- breathe
vort-, -volv to change or turn
spleno- spleen
-vore, -vorous eat
sporo- seed
stamen threads
-stasis, -stat, stato- standing, stoppage, balance X&Z
steno- narrow
xantho- yellow
stimul tease, touch
xero- dry
-stom- mouth
xylo phone
sub- rear, less than, below
zona- a belt
super-, supra- above or excessive
zoo- animal
sym-, syn- similar, with
zygo- united or yolk
zyme ferment, leaven
T
tachy fast
tars ankle, foot Extras
taxo- arrangement
tele-, telo- end
ten to hold fast
teno-, tendo- stretching
tetan spasm
tetra- four
therap- treatment
-therm, thermo- heat
thigmo- a touch