English Word Elements Flashcards
Learn 100 useful words to help you become more articulate. Half of these flashcards show you a common English vocabulary word and ask you for its definition, while the other half show you a definition and ask you which word it describes. Cards are appended with sample sentences and synonyms.
What is the denotation of the following word element(s)?
a, an
without or not
anarchy (without government)
atheist (not a theist)
What is the denotation of the following word element(s)?
ab
apart or away from
abduct (take away from)
aberration (a deviation or element that strays from the usual)
What is the denotation of the following word element(s)?
ad
to or toward
adhere (to stick to)
adage (a saying, literally “to say”)
What is the denotation of the following word element(s)?
ag
to act
agent (one who acts)
agenda (schedule of items to be discussed)
agitate (to move violently)
What is the denotation of the following word element(s)?
amphi, ambi
both or both sides
ambidextrous (using both hands)
amphibian (an organism that lives on land and water)
What is the denotation of the following word element(s)?
ante
before
antebellum (before a war)
antecedent (one that precedes another)
What is the denotation of the following word element(s)?
anthro
man
anthropology (the study of humans)
philanthropy (love of mankind)
What is the denotation of the following word element(s)?
anti
against
antibody (a protein that targets foreign agents in the body)
antithesis (a contrasting idea)
What is the denotation of the following word element(s)?
aqua
water
aquatic (pertaining to water)
aqueduct (water channel)
What is the denotation of the following word element(s)?
arch
ruler or chief
archangel (chief angel)
archbishop (highest level of bishop)
What is the denotation of the following word element(s)?
archeo
ancient
archaic (very old)
archaism (an old-fashioned word)
What is the denotation of the following word element(s)?
argent
silver
argental (containing silver)
What is the denotation of the following word element(s)?
arthro
joint
arthritis (condition that stiffens the joints)
arthropod (invertebrate animal with jointed limbs)
What is the denotation of the following word element(s)?
astro
star
astronomy (study of celestial objects)
astrogeny (theory of the origin of stars)
What is the denotation of the following word element(s)?
audi
hearing or sound
audible (able to be heard)
auditorium (a place to hear a performance)
What is the denotation of the following word element(s)?
aug, auct
grow or increase
augment (to make bigger)
augend (Math.: the number increased by the addend)
What is the denotation of the following word element(s)?
auto
self
autonomy (self-rule)
autogamy (self-fertilization)
What is the denotation of the following word element(s)?
batho
deep or depth
bathophobia (fear of depths)
bathybic (living in the deepest part of the ocean)
What is the denotation of the following word element(s)?
belli
war
antebellum (before war)
bellicose (inclined to fight)
What is the denotation of the following word element(s)?
ben
good or well
benign (not harmful)
benediction (a blessing)
What is the denotation of the following word element(s)?
bi
two
biannual (happening twice a year)
bifurcate (to branch in two directions)
What is the denotation of the following word element(s)?
bibl
book
bibliography (a list of books cited)
bibliophile (lover of books)
What is the denotation of the following word element(s)?
bio
life
biology (the study of life)
biography (writing about one’s life)
What is the denotation of the following word element(s)?
boni
good
bonify (to make good)
bonus (extra goods)
What is the denotation of the following word element(s)?
brachio
arm
bracelet (chain worn on arm)
brachiate (having arms)
What is the denotation of the following word element(s)?
brady
slowness
bradycrotic (causing slow pulse)
bradylogia (slowness in speaking)
What is the denotation of the following word element(s)?
brevi
short
brevity (briefness)
breviloquence (concise speech)
What is the denotation of the following word element(s)?
bronch
windpipe
bronchitis (condition affecting breathing)
bronchoscope (instrument used to view air passages)
What is the denotation of the following word element(s)?
bull
to bubble or boil
ebulliate (to boil or bubble)
ebullient (bubbling up, literally or figuratively)
What is the denotation of the following word element(s)?
burs
financial
bursar (financial administration office)
reimburse (to pay back)
What is the denotation of the following word element(s)?
caco
bad
cacosmia (a hallucination of a bad odor)
cacophony (unpleasant sound)
What is the denotation of the following word element(s)?
cad, cid, cas
fall or befall
decadent (declining or decaying)
casualty (a loss or death)
What is the denotation of the following word element(s)?
calc
stone
calculate (to work something out)
recalcitrance (defiance or stubbornness)
What is the denotation of the following word element(s)?
calli
beautiful
calligraphy (beautiful writing)
What is the denotation of the following word element(s)?
camer
vault or chamber
bicameral (with two chambers)
incameration (uniting lands into one chamber belonging to the Church)
What is the denotation of the following word element(s)?
camp
field
campus (land a school is on)
campaign (a military or political undertaking)
What is the denotation of the following word element(s)?
cant
sing
chant (rhythmically spoken slogan)
cantor (the head singer in a synagogue or church)
What is the denotation of the following word element(s)?
cand
glowing or iridescent
candle
incandescent (illuminated)
What is the denotation of the following word element(s)?
cap, cip, capt, cept
to take or hold
capable (ability to do or take hold)
emancipate (to free from bondage)
capture (to take into possession)
intercept (to block / hold back someone from reaching a destination)
What is the denotation of the following word element(s)?
capit, cipit
head
capital (main city)
decapitate (to behead)
What is the denotation of the following word element(s)?
carcer
jail
incarcerate (to put in jail)
carceral state (a police state)
What is the denotation of the following word element(s)?
cardio
heart
acardiac (without a heart)
pancarditis (inflammation of the entire heart)
What is the denotation of the following word element(s)?
carn
flesh
incarnation (the flesh form)
carnal (of the flesh)
What is the denotation of the following word element(s)?
ceas, cede, ceed, cess
to yield, move, or surrender
succeed (to move up)
exceed (to move beyond)
recede (retreat back)
What is the denotation of the following word element(s)?
centr, centri
center
eccentric (off center or strange)
Eurocentric (centered on Europe)
What is the denotation of the following word element(s)?
chron
time
chronology (timeline)
chronic (lasting a long time)
What is the denotation of the following word element(s)?
cide, cis
to kill or cut down
genocide (the extermination of a race)
incisors (teeth that cut)
What is the denotation of the following word element(s)?
circum
around
circumference (the area around)
circumstance (the situation surrounding an event)
What is the denotation of the following word element(s)?
civ
citizen
civics (the rights and responsibilities of a citizen)
civilian (a citizen not in the military)
What is the denotation of the following word element(s)?
clam
to cry out
clamor (loud shouting)
declaim (to denounce loudly)
What is the denotation of the following word element(s)?
clud, clus, claus
to close or shut
exclude (to shut out)
to cloister (to shut away in a secluded place)
claustrophobic (afraid of closed spaces)
What is the denotation of the following word element(s)?
col, con, com
together
collectively (all together)
conjoined (stuck together)
What is the denotation of the following word element(s)?
cogn, gnos
to know or think
cognition (process of thinking)
agnostic (one who doesn’t know)
What is the denotation of the following word element(s)?
contra, counter
opposite
contradiction (statement that opposes a previous statement or intent)
counterintuitive (opposite of what one would expect)
What is the denotation of the following word element(s)?
cour, cur, curs
a course or run
current (running its course at the moment)
courier (one who “runs” to send messages)
What is the denotation of the following word element(s)?
crat, cracy
rule
autocrat (one person who rules alone)
plutocracy (rule by the rich)
What is the denotation of the following word element(s)?
macr, macer
lean
emaciation (abnormal thinness)
What is the denotation of the following word element(s)?
magn
great
magnificent (splendid)
What is the denotation of the following word element(s)?
main
foremost
mainstream (dominant course)
mainsail (the principal sail)
What is the denotation of the following word element(s)?
mal
bad or badly
malformation (bad structure)
malady (disease of the body)
What is the denotation of the following word element(s)?
man, manu
hand, make, do
manual (worked by the hands)
manufacture (the making of goods)
What is the denotation of the following word element(s)?
mand
command
mandatory (authoritatively ordered)
remand (to send a case back to a lower court with instructions)
What is the denotation of the following word element(s)?
mania
madness
maniac (insane person)
kleptomania (a madness causing a person to steal)
What is the denotation of the following word element(s)?
mar, mari, mer
sea
marine (pertaining to the sea)
mermaid (mythical sea creature)
What is the denotation of the following word element(s)?
matri
mother
maternal (relating to the mother)
matronly (relating to a mature woman)
What is the denotation of the following word element(s)?
medi
half, middle, between
mediate (to occupy an intermediate place or position)
medieval (pertaining to the middle ages)
What is the denotation of the following word element(s)?
mega
great, million
megaton (one million tons)
megalomaniac (person obsessed with doing grand things)
What is the denotation of the following word element(s)?
mem
recall, remember
commemoration (a service or celebration in memory of a person or event)
memento (an object that serves to remind you of a person)
What is the denotation of the following word element(s)?
ment
mind
mental (of or pertaining to the mind)
menticulture (improvement of the mind)
What is the denotation of the following word element(s)?
meso
middle
mesosphere (the region between the stratosphere and the thermosphere)
Mesoamerica (Central America)
What is the denotation of the following word element(s)?
meta
beyond, change
metamorphosis (a complete change of form or structure)
metabolism (chemical changes of living cells by which energy is provided)
What is the denotation of the following word element(s)?
meter
measure
thermometer (instrument that measures temperature)
barometer (instrument that measures air pressure)
What is the denotation of the following word element(s)?
metr
to measure or apportion
parameter (a measure that describes a statistical population)
metric (something that measures)
What is the denotation of the following word element(s)?
micro
small, millionth
microvolt (one millionth of a volt)
microgram (one millionth of a gram)
What is the denotation of the following word element(s)?
migra
wander
migrate (to wander)
migrant (one who wanders)
What is the denotation of the following word element(s)?
mit, miss
to send
emit (to send out)
permit (to send permission)
What is the denotation of the following word element(s)?
mob, mov, mot
move
motion
mobility (ability to move)
What is the denotation of the following word element(s)?
mon
warn, remind
premonition (forewarning)
admonition (warning in response to a transgression)
What is the denotation of the following word element(s)?
mono
one
monotonous (uttered in one unvarying tone)
monotheism (the belief in only one god)
What is the denotation of the following word element(s)?
mor, mort
mortal, death
mortuary (of or relating to death)
immortal (insusceptible to death)
What is the denotation of the following word element(s)?
morph
shape or form
morphology (branch of biology which deals with the form and structure of animals and plants)
polymorphic (the quality or state of existing in different forms)
What is the denotation of the following word element(s)?
multi
many, much
multilingual (the ability to speak many languages)
multitude (a great number of people)
What is the denotation of the following word element(s)?
nano
billionth
nanosecond (a billionth of a second)
nanotechnology (technology on the scale of nanometers)
What is the denotation of the following word element(s)?
nasc, nat, gnant, nai
to be born
nascent (coming or recently come to existence)
pregnant (containing a developing embryo)
What is the denotation of the following word element(s)?
nat, nasc
to be from or spring forth
innate (determined by factors present in an individual from birth)
renaissance (rebirth or revival)
What is the denotation of the following word element(s)?
neo
new
neologism (new word)
neonate (a newborn child)
What is the denotation of the following word element(s)?
neur
nerve
neurological (pertaining to the nervous system)
innervate (to imbue with nervous energy)
What is the denotation of the following word element(s)?
nom
law or order
autonomy (the right of self government)
What is the denotation of the following word element(s)?
nom, nym
name
nominate (to name for an election)
synonym (a word with the same meaning as another)
What is the denotation of the following word element(s)?
nomin, nomen
name
nomenclature (the act or process or an instance of naming)
ignominy (having one’s name shamed)
What is the denotation of the following word element(s)?
non
nine or not
nonagon (a polygon with nine sides and nine angles)
nonferrous (not containing or including iron)
What is the denotation of the following word element(s)?
nov
new
renovate (to restore to a newer state)
innovate (to produce something new)
What is the denotation of the following word element(s)?
nox, noc
night
equinox (the day on which daylight and nighttime are of approximately equal length)
nocturnal (occurring in the night)
What is the denotation of the following word element(s)?
numer
number
numeral (of or relating to numbers)
innumerable (too many to be numbered)
What is the denotation of the following word element(s)?
ob, oc, op
against or in the way of
obstruct (to block)
occlude (to shut or stop an opening)
What is the denotation of the following word element(s)?
oct
eight
octagon (a polygon which has eight angles and eight sides)
octave (Mus.: an interval composed of eight diatonic tones)
What is the denotation of the following word element(s)?
oligo
few, little
oligosaccharide (a saccharide that contains a small number of monosaccharide units)
oligarchy (rule by a few people)
What is the denotation of the following word element(s)?
omni
all or every
omnivorous (feeding on both animal and vegetable substances)
omniscient (having universal or complete knowledge)
What is the denotation of the following word element(s)?
onym
name
anonymous (not named)
pseudonym (a fictitious name)
What is the denotation of the following word element(s)?
oper
work
cooperate (the act of working with others)
operate (to perform or function)
What is the denotation of the following word element(s)?
ortho
straight or correct
orthopedics (the correction or prevention of foot deformities)
orthodontist (a person who corrects or prevents irregularities of the teeth)
What is the denotation of the following word element(s)?
ous, eous, ose, ious
having the quality of
courageous (having the quality of courage)
verbose (having the quality of using many words)
What is the denotation of the following word element(s)?
over
excessive or above
overwork (to cause to work too hard)
overall (above all)
What is the denotation of the following word element(s)?
pac
peace
pacifist (strongly opposed to war or conflict)
pacify (to make calm or peaceful)
What is the denotation of the following word element(s)?
pair, pare
to arrange or assemble
repair (to bring back together)
prepare (to arrange ahead of time)
What is the denotation of the following word element(s)?
paleo
old
Paleolithic (relating to the oldest stone age)
paleomagnetism (residual magnetization in ancient rock)
What is the denotation of the following word element(s)?
pan
all
pandemonium (place of all demons)
Pan-Africanism (a movement for the political union of all the African nations)
What is the denotation of the following word element(s)?
para
beside or around
parallel (lying evenly side by side)
paralinguistic (arising in conjunction with language)
What is the denotation of the following word element(s)?
pat, pass, path
feel, suffer
patient (a person who suffers pains)
passion (intense or overmastering feeling)
What is the denotation of the following word element(s)?
pater, patr
father
paternity (the quality or state of being a father)
patriarch (a man who is a father or the founder)
What is the denotation of the following word element(s)?
path, pathy
feeling, suffering
pathos (an emotion of sympathetic pity)
apathy (lack of feeling or emotion)
What is the denotation of the following word element(s)?
ped, pod
foot
pedal (a lever pressed by the foot)
tripod (a vessel resting on three legs)
What is the denotation of the following word element(s)?
pedo
child
pediatrics (a branch of medicine dealing with children)
pediatrician (a specialist in pediatrics)
What is the denotation of the following word element(s)?
pel, puls
drive, push, urge
dispel (to drive away by)
pulsate (to throb or move rhythmically)
What is the denotation of the following word element(s)?
pend, pens, pond
to hang or weigh
pendant (an ornament allowed to hang free)
pendulum (a body suspended from a fixed point so it can swing freely under the action of gravity)
What is the denotation of the following word element(s)?
per
through, intensive
perspire (to go through skin)
perforate (to make a hole through)
What is the denotation of the following word element(s)?
peri
around
perimeter (outer limits)
periodontal (surrounding a tooth)
What is the denotation of the following word element(s)?
phage
eat
bacteriophage (a virus that infects bacteria)
macrophage (a cell that consumes foreign antigens)
What is the denotation of the following word element(s)?
phan, phas, phen, fan
to show or make visible
phantom (something existing in appearance only)
fantasy (the free play of creative imagination)
What is the denotation of the following word element(s)?
phe
speak
blaspheme (to speak of or address with a lack of respect)
decipher (to determine the meaning of)
What is the denotation of the following word element(s)?
phil
love
bibliophile (a lover of books)
philanthropy (good will toward fellow man)