Building Vocabulary (Prefixes) Flashcards
Prefixes
a-, an-
without, lack of
(Anemia: lack of blood)
ab-
away from
(Abduct: take away)
ad-
toward, near
(Adjust: tilt towards)
ambi-, amphi-, ampho-,
both
(Ambidextrous: both hands)
ana-
up, toward, apart
(Anatomy: to cut apart)
ante-
before, forward, in front of
(Antenatal: before birth, Antemortem: before death)
anti-
against
(Antibiotic: against microbial life)
apo-
separation from, derived from
(Apology: said because of/ derived from a mistake)
auto-
self
(Auto-pilot: self flying)
bi-
two, double, twice
(Biceps: muscle with two heads)
cata-
down, under, lower, against
(Catacombs: underneath paris)
circum-
around
(Circumflex: winding around)
co-, com-, con-
with, together
(Commissure: coming together)
contra-
opposed, against
(Contradict: against what was said)
de-
reverse, remove, down, from
(Demote: move down, Dehydrate: remove water from)
di-
two, twice
(Dichromic: two colors)
dia-
between, through, apart, across, completely
(Diaphragm: between chest and abdominal cavity)
dis-
apart, free from
(Disassemble: take apart)
dys-
difficult, painful, abnormal
(Dysfunction: abnormal)
e-, ec-, ex-
out of, from, away from
(Ectopic: out of place)
ecto-, exo-
outer
(Exoskeleton: outer shell)
em-, en-
in
(Enter: come in)
endo-
within, inner
(Endorphin: hormone produced within)
ep-, epi-
upon, on, over, above
(Epidermis: outer layer of skin)
eu-
normal, good, healthy
(Euthanasia: inducing good painless death)
extra-
outside of, beyond
(Extraterrestrial: from outer space)
hemi-
half
(Hemisphere: half a sphere)
hyper-
excessive, beyond, above
(Hypertension: excessive blood pressure)
hyp-, hypo-
under, deficient, beneath
(Hypothyroidism: deficiency of thyroid activity)
im-, in-
in, into, within, not
(Inside: within)
infra-
below, beneath
(Infrastructure: underlying support system)
inter-
between
(Interaction: conversation between)
intra-
within
(Intracranial: within the skull)
intro-
into, within
(Introduce: lead into)
mes-, meso-
middle
(Mesoderm: middle layer of skin)
meta-
change, beyond, after
(Metamorphosis: change shape or structure)
micr-, micro-
small
(Microscopic: very small)
mult-, multi-
many
(Multiform: many shapes)
neo-
new, recent
(Neonatal: newborn)
pan-
all, entire
(Pangea: all of earths landmasses)
para-
beside, beyond
(Parallel: two lines beside eachother)
per-
through, excessive
(Permeable: able to pass through)
peri-
around
(Periosteum: around the bone)
poly-
many, much
(Polydactyl: many more fingers)
post-
after, behind
(Postoperative: after surgery)
pre-, pro-
before, in front of
(Prenatal: before birth)
pseudo-
false
(Pseudocyesis: false pregnancy)
re-
again, backward
(Recoil: spring backwards, Redo: do again)
retro-
backward, behind
(Retrospect: think back)
semi-
half, partial
(Semipermeable: partially able to pass through)
sub-
under, beneath
(Sub-dermal: under the skin)
super-, supra-
above, superior, excess
(Supernumerary: excessive number)
sym-, syn-
together, with
(Symbiosis: organisms living in close association)
trans-
across, through
(Transection: cut across)
ultra-
beyond, excess
(Ultrasonic: beyond the limit of hearing)
