Latin & Greek suffixes

Question 1

-biosis

Answer 1

mode of living, way of life. E.g.: symbiosis - the living together of two dissimilar organisms

Question 2

-blast

Answer 2

formative, embryonic. E.g.: mesoblast - the mesoderm

Question 3

-chrome

Answer 3

color. E.g.: Mercurochrome - a brand of merbromin

Question 4

-cocci

Answer 4

round, seed, kernel. E.g.: streptococcus - any of several spherical or oval bacteria which are pathogenic for humans

Question 5

-cyst

Answer 5

pouch, sac. E.g.: trichocyst - an organ of offense and defense embedded in certain protozoans

Question 6

-dactyl

Answer 6

finger. E.g.: pentadactyl - having five digits on each hand or foot

Question 7

-derm, -dermis

Answer 7

skin, layer. E.g.: epidermis - the outer layer of the skin

Question 8

-emia

Answer 8

blood disease. E.g.: anemia - a quantitative deficiency of the hemoglobin

Question 9

-gamous, - gamy

Answer 9

marriage, sexual fusion. E.g.: polygamy - the practice of having more than one spouse

Question 10

-gen -geny

Answer 10

origin, production. E.g.: progeny - a descendent or offspring; hydrogen - colorless, odorless, flammable gas

Question 11

-graph

Answer 11

drawing, writing. E.g.: chromatograph - a piece of equipment used to produce a chromatogram

Question 12

-hedral, -hedron

Answer 12

side. E.g.: polyhedral - of, relating to, or having the shape of a polyhedron

Question 13

-hydrate

Answer 13

compound formed by union of water with other substances. E.g.: carbohydrate - any of a class of organic compounds that are polyhydroxy aldehydes

Question 14

-ism

Answer 14

act, practice, or result of. E.g.: terrorism - the use of violence or threats to intimidate or coerce

Question 15

-itis

Answer 15

inflammation or infection. E.g.: appendicitis - inflammation of the appendix

Question 16

-logy

Answer 16

science or study of. E.g.: biology - the science of life or living matter

Question 17

-lysis

Answer 17

loosening, separation. E.g.: photolysis - the chemical decomposition of materials under the influence of light

Question 18

-mer

Answer 18

a part, piece. E.g.: polymer - a compound formed from two or more polymeric compounds

Question 19

-meter

Answer 19

a measurement. E.g.: diameter - straight line passing through the center of a circle or sphere and meeting the circumference at each end

Question 20

-morph

Answer 20

form. E.g.: endomorph - a mineral enclosed within another mineral

Question 21

-nomy

Answer 21

systematized knowledge of. E.g.: astronomy - the science that deals with the material universe beyond the earth’s atmosphere

Question 22

-oma

Answer 22

tumorous. E.g.: carcinoma - malignant tumor, cancer

Question 23

-osis, -otic

Answer 23

abnormal condition, disease. E.g.: neurosis - a relatively mild personality disorder typified by excessive anxiety

Question 24

-phase

Answer 24

a stage or condition. E.g.: metaphase - a stage of mitosis or meiosis

Question 25

-phil, -phile

Answer 25

fear, fearing. E.g.: hydrophobia - abnormal fear of water

Question 26

-phyll

Answer 26

leaf. E.g.: chlorophyll - the green coloring matter of leaves and plants

Question 27

-phyta, phyte

Answer 27

plant. E.g.: epiphyte - a plant that grows above the ground

Question 28

-plasm

Answer 28

formative substance. E.g.: cytoplasm - the cell substance between the cell membrane and the nucleus

Question 29

-pod, -poda

Answer 29

foot. E.g.: arthropod - any invertebrate of the phylum Arthropoda

Question 30

-some

Answer 30

body. E.g.: chromosome - any of several threadlike bodies that carry genes in a linear order

Question 31

-stasis

Answer 31

a stationary position. E.g.: homeostasis - the tendency of a system to maintain internal stability

Question 32

-stat, -static

Answer 32

stationary, still. E.g.: hemostat - an instrument or agent used to treat bleeding vessels in order to arrest hemorrhage

Question 33

-stomy

Answer 33

opening into. E.g.: colostomy - the construction of an opening from the colon through the abdominal wall

Question 34

-therm

Answer 34

heat. E.g.: homeotherm - An organism, such as a mammal or bird, having a body temperature that is constant and largely independent of the temperature of its surroundings.

Question 35

-thes, thesis

Answer 35

arrangement, in order. E.g.: hypothesis - a proposition assumed as a premise or argument

Question 36

-tom, -tomy

Answer 36

dividing, surgery. E.g.: lobotomy - the operation of cutting into a lobe, as of the brain or the lung

Question 37

-trope, -tropic

Answer 37

turning. E.g.: phototropic - growing toward or away from the light

Question 38

-zoa, -zoan, -zoic

Answer 38

animal, life. E.g.: protozoa - a major grouping or the kingdom Protista, comprising the protozoans

Question 39

-cidal, -cide

Answer 39

killer, a killing. E.g.: insecticide - a substance or preparation used for killing insects

Question 40

-elle, -ule, -la, -le, -let, -ole

Answer 40

small, diminutive endings. E.g.: globule - a small spherical body; piglet - a little pig

Question 41

-fer

Answer 41

bearer, producer, carry. E.g.: conifer - any of numerous, chiefly evergreen trees or shrubs; transfer - to convey or move from place to place

Question 42

-genesis

Answer 42

origin, development of. E.g.: embryogenesis - the formation and development of the embryo

Question 43

-gony

Answer 43

something produced. E.g.: cosmogony - the study of the origin and development of the universe

Question 44

-ite

Answer 44

a division or part. E.g.: somite - any of the longitudinal series of segments or parts into which the body of certain animals is divided

Question 45

-jugal, -jugate

Answer 45

to yoke, join together. E.g.: conjugate - to join together, especially in marriage

Question 46

-vor, -vore

Answer 46

feeding. E.g.: carnivore - an animal that eats flesh