Root Words Flashcards
Common root words used in the English language
Acou
Hearing (Acoustical- pertaining to sound)
Acro
Furthest or Highest point (acrophobia- fear of heights)
Acu
Needle (acupuncture- puncturing of body tissue for relief of pain)
Aero
Air or gas (aeronautics-study of the operation of aircraft)
Alt
High (altitude- A position or a region at height)
Ambi
Both (ambidextrous- capable of using both hands equally well)
Anter
In front (Anterior- towards the front)
Auto
Self (autocratic- ruled by a monarch with absolute rule)
Aqueo, Aqui
Water (aquatic- living in water)
audio
hearing (Audiology- science of hearing)
Anthrop
Human being (anthropology- science of mankind)
Avi
Bird, Flight (Aviary- Large cage for confining birds)
Bona
Good (Bona fide- in good faith)
Bio
life (Biography- written history of a person’s life)
Capit
Head (Capital- involving the forfeiture of the head or life(as in capital punishment))
Carcin
Cancer (Carcinogen- substance that initiates cancer)
Carb
Carbon (Carboniferous- containing or producing carbon or coal)
Cent
A hundred (Centennial- pertaining to 100 years)
Carn
Flesh (Carnivorous- eating flesh)
Crypt
Covered or hidden (Cryptology- Art of uncovering a hidden or coded messages)
Centro, Centri
Center (centrifugal- movement away from the center)
Citri
Fruit (Citric Acid- Sour-tasting juice from fruits)
Culp
Fault (Culprit- criminal)
Cepha
Head (hydrocephalus- condition caused by excess fluid in the head)
Chron
Time (Synchronize- to happen at the same time)
Dyna
Power (Dynamometer- Device for measuring power)
Corpor, Corp
Body (Corporate-combined into one body)
Doc
Teach (Doctrine- instruction or teaching)
Eco
Environment (Ecosystem- community or organisms interacting with the enviroment)
Flor
Flower (Florist- dealer in flower)
Demo
People (Democracy- Government ruled by the people)
Dox
Opinion (Paradox- a self-contradictory statement that has plausibility)
Equi
Equal (Equilibrium- balance)
Cyclo
Circular (cyclone- a storm with strong circular winds)
Exter
Outside of (External- on the outside)
Embry
Early (Embryonic- Pertaining to an embryo or the beginning of life)
Ethn
Race, Group (Ethnology- study of human races or groups)
Foli
Leafy (Defoliate- To strip a plant of its leaves)
Geo
Earth (Geophysics- the physics of the earth)