The Language of Science

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How to use the list
Prefixes
Suffixes
The BIG list


Example of how to use this list
Word: TELESCOPE
Step 1. Look up the first part of the word under the PREFIX LIST
© tele = at a distance
Step 2. Look for the rest of the word under the SUFFIX LIST
© scope = look or observe
So, the whole word means "distance-look" or to look at something at a distance.
Note
© The order of the words may not always seem right; don't worry about that.
© Sometimes you can only find one part of a word but that can be a good clue about the meaning
© You may have extra letters like o or a or i between two parts of a word — they don't meananything
© If you don't see a word in the suffix list, check the prefix list. Sometimes, words can be both aprefix and a suffix.

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PREFIX
 MEANING
 PREFIX
 MEANING
 PREFIX
 MEANING
a-
 without,
 e-/ef-/ex-
 out, out of,
 oculo-
 eye

lacking
from
 odont-
 tooth
ab-
 away from
 echin-
 spiny
 olf-
 smell
adipo-
 fat
 ect-
 outside
 omni-
 all
alb-
 white
 en-
 in
 opthal-
 eye
amphi-/amp-
 of both kinds
 encephal-
 brain
 oss-/ost-
 bone
andr-
 male
 epi-
 on, above

angio-
 vessel (blood)
 extra-
 outside,
 phag-
 eat
ante-
 before
beyond
 photo-
 light
anthropo-
 humans

plasm-
 form
anti-
 against
 gastro-
 stomach
 pneumo-
 lungs
aqua-
 water
 gene-
 origin, birth
 pre-
 before
arbor-
 tree
 geo-
 earth
 prot-/proto-
 first
arthro-
 jointed
 glottis-
 mouth of
 pseudo-
 fake, false
aster-
 star
windpipe

audi-
 hear, sound
 gymno-
 uncovered
 retro-
 backward,
auto-
 self


back


hepato-
 liver
 rota-
 turn, wheel
bi-
 two, twice
 hetero-
 different
 rupt-
 break, burst
bio-
 life, living
 hiber-
 winter

bronch-
 windpipe
 homo-
 same, alike
 sub-
 under,

(lungs)
 hydro-
 water
 super-/sur-
 beneath


hyper-
 over, above
above, upon
card-
 heart
 hypo-
 below, under,

carn-
 meat
less
 tele-
 at a distance
cell-
 storeroom

therm-
 temperature
cephalo-
 head
 inter-
 between
 trans-
 across,
chlor-
 green
 intra-
 within,
beyond
chrom-
 color
during, inside
 tri-
 three
chron-
 time
 ichty-
 fish
 trop-
 turning
coel-
 hollow
 immunis-
 free

com-/con-/co-
 with, together

ventr-
 belly
contra-
 against
 leuc-
 white

cran-
 head
 lith-
 stone
 uni-
 one
cyt-
 cell
 luna-
 moon



macro-
 large
 zo-
 animal
de-
 from, away
 meta-
 change

deca-
 ten
 micro-
 small

derm-
 skin
 mono-
 single

den-
 tooth
 multi-
 many

di-
 two, double
 morph-
 form

dia-
 through,




across
 neo-
 new

dis-/dif-
 apart from,
 non-
 not


deprive
 neur-
 nerve



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SUFFIX LIST = endings
SUFFIX
 MEANING
-able/ -ible
 able to, capable of
-algia
 pain
-ectomy
 cut out
-graph
 instrument for making records
-ism
 act of, condition
-itis
 inflammation (swelling) or disease
-meter
 measure
-ology/ -logy
 study of,-science of
-phyll
 leaf
-pod/ -ped
 foot, feet
-scope
 look, observe
-sect
 cut
-sperm
 seed

Return to topSCIENTIFIC ROOT WORDS, PREFIXES, AND SUFFIXES
a-; an-
 not; without; lacking;deficient
 cente-
 pierce
 -err-
 wander; go astray
ab-
 away from; out from
 centi-
 hundredth
 erythro-
 red
-able
 capable of
 centr-
 center
 -escent
 becoming
ac-
 to; toward
 cephal-
 head
 eso-
 inward; within; inner
-aceous
 of or pertaining to
 cerat-
 horn
 eu-
 well; good; true; normal
acou-; acous-
 hear
 cerebr-
 brain
 eury-
 widen
ad-
 to; toward
 cervic-
 neck
 ex-
 out of; away from
aden-
 gland
 chel-
 claw
 extra-
 beyond; outside
adip-
 fat
 chem-
 dealing with chemicals
 -fer-
 bear; carry; produce
aero-
 air
 chir-
 hand
 ferro-
 iron
agrh
 field; soil
 chlor-
 green
 fibr-
 fiber; thread
-al
 having the character of
 chondr-
 cartilage
 -fid;fiss-
 split; divided into
alb-
 white
 chrom-; -chrome
 color
 -flect; -flex
 bend
alg-; -algia
 pain
 chron-
 time
 flor-
 flower
alto-
 high
 -chym-
 juice
 flu-; fluct-; flux
 flow
ambi-
 both
 -cid-;-cis-
 cut; kill; fall
 foli-
 leaf
ameb-
 change; alternation
 circa-; circum-
 around; about
 fract
 break
amni-
 fetal membrane
 cirru-
 hairlike curls
 -gam-
 marriage
amphi-; ampho-
 both
 co-
 with; together
 gastr-
 stomach
amyl-
 starch
 cocc-
 seed; berry
 geo-
 land; earth
ana-
 up; back; again
 coel-
 hollow
 -gen; -gine
 producer; former
andro-
 man; masculine
 coll-
 glue
 -gene-
 origin; birth
anemo-
 wind
 coni-
 cone
 -gest-
 carry; produce; bear
ang-
 choke; feel pain
 contra-
 -against
 --glen-
 eyeball
angi-
 blood vessel; duct
 corp-
 body
 -glob-
 ball; round
ante-
 before; ahead of time
 cort-; cortic-
 outer layer
 gloss-
 tongue
anter-
 front
 cosmo-
 world; order; form
 gluc-; glyc-
 sweet; sugar
antho-
 flower
 cotyt
 cup
 glut-
 buttock
anti-
 against; opposite
 counter-
 against
 gnath-
 jaw
anthropo-
 man; human
 era ni-
 skull
 -gon
 angle; comer
-ap-;-aph-
 touch
 cresc-; cret-
 begin to grow
 -grad-
 step
apo-; ap-
 away from
 crypt-
 hidden; covered
 -gram; graph
 record; writing
aqu-
 water
 -cul-; -cule
 small; diminutive
 grav-
 heavy
archaeo-
 primitive; ancient
 cumul-
 heaped
 -gross-
 thick
-ary; -arium
 piace for something
 cuti-
 skin
 gymno-
 naked; bare
arteri-
 artery
 cyan-
 blue
 gyn-
 female
arthr-
 joint; articulation
 -cycle; cycl-
 ring; circle
 gy-
 ring; circle; spiral
-ase
 forms names of enzymes
 -cyst-
 sac; pouch; bladder
 -hal-; -hale
 breathe; breath
aster-; astr-
 star
 cyt-; -cyte
 cell; hollow container
 halo-
 salt
-ate
 verb form - the act of...
 dactyl-
 finger
 hapl-
 simple
ather-
 fatty deposit
 de-
 away from; down
 hecto-
 hundred
-ation
 noun form - the act of...
 deca-
 ten
 -helminth-
 worm
atmo-
 vapor
 deci-
 tenth
 hem-
 blood
audi-
 hear
 deliquesc-
 become fluid
 hemi-
 half
aur-
 ear
 demi-
 half
 hepar-; hepat-
 liver
auto-
 self
 dendr-
 tree
 herb-
 grass; plants
bacter-; bactr-
 bacterium; stick; club
 dent-
 tooth
 hetero-
 different; other
barb-
 beard
 derm-
 skin
 hex-
 six
baro-
 weight
 di-; dipl- (Latin)
 two; double
 hibern-
 winter
bath-
 depth; height
 di-; dia- (Greek)
 through; across; apart
 hidr-
 sweat
bene-
 well; good
 dia- (Latin)
 day
 hipp-
 horse
bi- (Latin)
 two; twice
 digit-
 finger; toe
 hist-
 tissue
bi-; bio- (Greek)
 life; living
 din-
 terrible
 holo-
 entire; whole
-blast-
 sprout; germ; bud
 dis-
 apart; out
 homo- (Latin)
 man; human
brachi-
 arm
 dorm-
 sleep
 homo- (Greek)
 same; alike
brachy-
 short
 dors-
 back
 hort-
 garden
brady-
 slow
 du-; duo-
 two
 hydr-
 water
branchi-
 fin
 -duct
 lead
 hygr-
 moist; wet
brev-
 short
 dynam-
 power
 hyper-
 above; beyond; over
bronch-
 windpipe
 dys-
 bad; abnormal; difficult
 hyph-
 weaving; web
cac-
 bad
 ec-
 out of; away from
 hypno-
 sleep
calor-
 heat
 echin-
 spiny; prickly
 hypo-
 below; under; less
capill-
 hair
 eco-
 house
 hyster-
 womb; uterus
capit-
 head
 ecto-
 outside of
 -iac
 person afflicted with disease
carcin-
 cancer
 -elle
 small
 -iasis
 disease; abnormal condition
cardi-
 heart
 -emia
 blood
 -ic
 (adjective former)
carrv
 meat; flesh
 en-; endo-; ent-
 in; into; within
 ichthy-
 fish
carp-
 fruit
 -en
 made of
 ign-
 fire
carpal-
 wrist
 encephal-
 brain
 in-; il-; irtv; ir-
 not
cata-
 breakdown; downward
 enter-
 intestine; gut
 in-; il-; im-; ir-
 to; toward; into
caud-
 tail
 entom-
 insects
 in-
 very; thoroughly
-cell-
 chamber; small room
 -eous
 nature of; like
 -ine
 of or pertaining to
cen-;-cene
 now; recent
 epi-
 upon; above; over
 infra-
 below; beneath


inter-
 between
 -oma
 abnormal condition; tumor
 sacchar-
 sugar
intra-
 within; inside
 omni-
 all
 sapr-
 rotten
-ism
 a state or condition
 onc-
 mass; tumor
 sarc-
 flesh
iso-
 equal; same
 oo-
 egg
 saur-
 lizard
-ist
 person who deals with...
 opthalm-
 eye
 schis-;schiz-
 split; divide
-itis
 inflammation; disease
 opt-
 eye
 sci-
 know
-ium
 refers to a part of the body
 orb-
 circle; round; ring
 scler-
 hard
-kary-
 cell nucleus
 -orium; -ory
 place for something
 -scop-
 look; device for seeing
kel-
 tumor; swelling
 ornith-
 bird
 -scribe; -script
 write
kerat-
 horn
 orth-
 straight; correct; right
 semi-
 half; partly
kilo-
 thousand
 oscu-
 mouth
 sept-
 partition; seven
kine-
 move
 -osis
 abnormal condition
 - septic
 infection; putrefaction
lachry-
 tear
 oste-
 bone
 sess-
 sit
lact-
 milk
 oto-
 ear
 sex-
 six
lat-
 side
 -ous
 full of
 -sis
 condition; state
leio-
 smooth
 ov-
 egg
 sol-
 sun
-less
 without
 oxy-
 sharp; acid; oxygen
 solv-
 loosen; free
leuc-; leuk-
 white; bright; light
 pachy-
 thick
 sorrv; somat-; -
 body
lign-
 wood
 paleo-
 old; ancient
 somn-
 sleep
lin-
 line
 palm-
 broad; flat
 son-
 sound
lingu-
 tongue
 pan-
 all
 spec-; spic-
 look at
lip-
 fat
 par-; para-
 beside; near; equal
 -sperm-
 seed
Nth-; -lite
 stone; petrifying
 path-; -pathy
 disease; suffering
 -spher-
 ball; round
loc-
 place
 -ped-
 foot
 spir-; -spire
 breathe
-log-
 word; speech
 -ped-
 child
 -spor-
 seed
-logist
 one who studies...
 pent-
 five
 stat-; -stasis
 standing; placed; staying
-logy
 study of...
 per-
 through
 stell-
 stars
lumin-
 light
 peri-
 around
 sten-
 narrow
-lys-; -lyt-;-lyst
 decompose; split; dissolve
 permea-
 pass; go
 stern-
 chest; breast
macr-
 large
 phag-
 eat
 storrv; -stome
 mouth
malac-
 soft
 pheno-
 show
 strat-
 layer
malle-
 hammer
 -phil-
 loving; fond of
 stereo-
 solid; 3-dimensional
mamm-
 breast
 phon-; -phone
 sound
 stricfr
 drawn tight
marg-
 border; edge
 -phore; pher-
 bear; carry
 styl-
 pillar
mas^
 breast
 photo-
 light
 sub-
 under; below
med-
 middle
 phren-
 mind; diaphragm
 super-; sur-
 over; above; on top
meg-
 million; great
 phyc-
 seaweed; algae
 sym-; syn-
 together
mela-; melan-
 black; dark
 phyl-
 related group
 tachy-
 quick: swift
-mer
 part
 -phyll
 leaf
 tarso-
 ankle
mes-
 middle; half; intermediate
 physi-
 nature; natural qualities
 tax-
 arrange; put in order
met-; meta-
 between; along; after
 phyt-; -phyte
 plant
 tele-
 far off; distant
-meter; -metry
 measurement
 pino-
 drink
 telo-
 end
micro-
 small; millionth
 pinni-
 feather
 terr-
 earth; land
milli-
 thousandth
 plan-
 roaming; wandering
 tetr-
 four
mis-
 wrong; incorrect
 plasm-; -plast-
 form; formed into
 thall-
 young shoot
mito-
 thread
 platy-
 flat
 -the-; -thes-
 put
mole-
 mass
 pleur-
 lung; rib; side
 -thel-
 cover a surface
mono-
 one; single
 pneumo-
 lungs; air
 -therm-
 heat
mort-
 death
 -pod
 foot
 -tom-
 cut; slice
-mot-
 move
 poly-
 many; several
 toxico-
 poison
morph-
 shape; form
 por-
 opening
 top-
 place
multi-
 many
 port-
 carry
 trache-
 windpipe
mut-
 change
 post-
 after; behind
 trans-
 across
my-
 muscle
 pom-
 fruit
 tri-
 three
myc-
 fungus
 pre-
 before; ahead of time
 trich-
 hair
mycel-
 threadlike
 prim-
 first
 -trop-
 turn; change
myria-
 many
 pro-
 forward; favoring; before
 -troph-
 nourishment; one who feeds
moll-
 soft
 proto-
 first; primary
 turb-
 whirl
nas-
 nose
 pseudo-
 false; deceptive
 -ul-; -ule
 diminutive; small
necr-
 corpse; dead
 psych-
 mind
 ultra-
 beyond
nemat-
 thread
 pter-
 having wings or fins
 uni-
 one
neo-
 new; recent
 pulmo-
 lung
 ur-
 urine
nephro-
 kidney
 puls-
 drive; push
 -ura
 tail
-ner-
 moist; liquid
 pyr-
 heat; fire
 vas-
 vessel
neur-
 nerve
 quadr-
 four
 vect-
 carry
noct-; nox-
 night
 quin-
 five
 ven-; vent-
 come
-node
 knot
 radi-
 ray
 ventr-
 belly; underside
-norrv; -nomy
 ordered knowledge; law
 re-
 again; back
 -verge
 turn; slant
non-
 not
 rect-
 right; correct
 vig-
 strong
not-
 back
 ren-
 kidney
 vit-; viv-
 life
nuc-
 center
 ret-
 net; made like a net
 volv-
 roll; wander
ob-
 against
 rhag-; -rrhage
 burst forth
 -vor-
 devour; eat
ocul-
 eye
 rhe-;-rrhea
 flow
 xanth-
 yellow
oct-
 eight
 rhin-
 nose
 xero-
 dry
odont-
 tooth
 rhiz-
 root
 xyl-
 wood
-oid
 form; appearance
 rhodo-
 rose
 zo-; -zoa
 animal
olf-
 smell
 roto-
 wheel
 zyg-
 joined together
oligo-
 few; little
 rubr-
 red
 zym-
 yeast

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