Roots Flashcards
A/an
not, without
For example: abyss (without bottom), anhydrous (without bottom)
A
On
For example: afire (on fire), ashore (on the shore)
Ab/abs
From, away, off
For example: abduct (carry away by force), aversion (turning away from), abnormal (away from normal), abbreviate (to shorten)
Ad
Ac/af/ag/al/an/ap/ar/as/at before consonants
To, toward, near
For example: accelerate (increase speed), accessible (easily entered), admittance (allowing into)
Accord - cause to agree
Aggregrate - amounting to a whole
Appease - bring pease or calm to
Acro
Top, height, tip, beginning
For example: acrobat, acronym (word formed from the first (capital) letters of a word)
Act/ag
Do, drive, lead, move
For example: action, interaction, agenda, agitation
Aer/aero
Air
For example: aerate (to let air reach something), aerial
Agro/agri
Farming
Alg/algo
Pain
For example: neuralgia (pain caused by a nerve), analgesic (a drug that makes one pain free), nostalgia (aching for the familiar)
Ambi/amphi
both, on both sides, around, double
For example:
ambiguous -having more than one meaning
ambivalence - conflicting or opposite feelings toward a person or thing
amphibian - animal that can live both on land and in water
amphora - two-handled Greek or Roman jar
Ambul/amb
Walk, move, to go
amble - to walk in a slow, relaxed way
ambulant - walking or moving around
ambulance - a vehicle that moves a patient
perambulate - walk about
Amo/ami/ama
Love
amiable - friendly, pleasant, lovable
amity - friendly and peaceful relations
amorous - showing romantic love
Ana
up, back, against, again, throughout
analysis - a close examination of something
anatomy - the structure of something as visible when cut up for analysis
anachronism - not being in the right place in time
Andr/andro
Man, male
androgynous - being both male and female
android - resembling a human
misandry - hatred towards men
Anim
Life, spirit
animal - a living organism
animate - to make alive
equanimity - of balanced spirit
Annu/enni/anni
Year
anniversary - a date observed once a year
annual - happening once a year
millennium - 1,000 years
Ante
before, in front
antecede - to come before something in time
antemeridian - before noon
anteroom- a small room before the main room
Anth/antho
Flower
chrysanthemum and amaranth - names of flowers anthology - a collection of treasured writings
anthozoan - half plant, half animal, like anemones and corals.
Anthrop/anthropo
Human
anthropology - the study of mankind
anthropomorphism - giving human form to non-human things
philanthropy - the love to mankind (expressed through good deeds)
Apo/apho
Away, off, separate
aphorism - a short expression of a general truth
apology - an explicit expression of regret
apostrophe - a small dash used in place of an omitted letter
Aqu/a
Water
Arbor
Tree
Arch/archi
Chief, most important, rule
archbishop - the highest ranking bishop
archenemy - chief or worst enemy; matriarch - a female who rules a group
monarch - a king or queen
Arch/Archa/Archi
Primitive, ancient
archaeology - the study of ancient cultures
archaic - belonging to an earlier period
archive - a collection of historical materials
Anthr/anthro
Joint
arthroscope - a tool to see inside a joint
arthritis - inflammation of a joint
arthropod - invertebrates with jointed legs, like spiders, crustaceans, insects
Art
Skill,art
artifact - object made by a person’s skill
artisan - a person skilled in a craft
artist - a person who creates skillfully
Astr/aster/
Star, stars, outer space
astronaut - a person traveling to the stars
astronomer - someone who studies the stars
asterisk - a star-shaped sign used as a reference tool
Aud/audi/aus
Hear, listen, bold, daring
audible - loud enough to be heard
audience - people who listen to a program
audiovisual - relating to sound and vision
audacity - fearless, daring, and adventurousness
auscultation - listening to the heart or other organs
Auto
Self, same, one
autocrat - a person who governs with absolute power
autograph - a person’s own signature
automatic - moving by itself
Avi/a
Bird, flying
aviary - a large enclosure for birds
aviatrix - a female airplane pilot
aviation - the art of designing or operating aircraft
Bar/o
Pressure, weight
baric - pertaining to pressure, esp. of the atmosphere baryon - heavy elementary particle
Bell/bel
War
bellicose - warlike
belligerent - hostile, ready to fight
rebel - person who opposes and fights
Ben/bon
Good, well
benefactor - person who gives money to a cause beneficial - producing a good effect
benevolent - showing kindness or goodwill
bonanza - large amount
Bi/n
Two, twice, once in every two
biannual - happening twice a year
binoculars - optical device with two lenses
bilateral - of or involving two sides
Bibli/o
Book
bibliography - a list of books used as sources
bibliomania - an extreme love of books
bibliophile - a person who loves books
Bio
Life, living matter
biography- a life story written by another person
biology - the science of life
biosphere - Earth’s surface inhabited by living things
Blast/o
Cell, primitive, immature cell
blastula - an early stage of embryonic development
fibroblast - a cell that forms connective tissue
blastoderm - the layer surrounding the inside of an egg
Burs
Pouch, purse
bursar- an administrative officer in charge of funds bursary- the treasury of a college or monastery
disburse- to expend especially from a public fund
Calc
Stone
calcite; calcium- the flame of acetylene gas generated by reaction of calcium carbide with water
calcification- impregnation with calcareous matter
Cand
Glowing, iridescent
candid- free from bias, prejudice, or malice
candle- something that gives light
incandescent- white, glowing, or luminous with intense heat
Capt, cept, ceive, cap, cip
Take/hold
intercept - to stop or interrupt
perceive - to take notice of something; captivating - taking hold of
precept - principle that prescribes a course of action
captious - faultfilding
Card/cardi
Heart
cardiac - relating to the heart
cardiogenic - resulting from heart disease; cardiologist - a heart doctor
Carn/i
Flesh, meat
incarnate - given bodily form
Cata
down, against completely, intensive, according to
cataclysm - a flood or other disaster
catalog - a complete listing
catastrophe - turning for the worst, a substantial disaster
Caust/caut
To burn
cauterize - to burn with a hot instrument
caustic - capable of burning or eating away
holocaust - total devastation, especially by fire
Cede, ceed, cess, ced
Go, yield
exceed - to go beyond the limits
recede - to go back
accessible - easily entered, approached, or obtained
Celer
Fast, swift
Cent/i
Hundredth, hundred
Centr/o/i
Center
egocentric - self-centered
eccentric - not having a common center, not according to norm
centrifugal - moving outward from a center
Cephal/o
Head
Cerebr/o
Brain
Cert
Sure, certain
ascertain- to find out something with certainty
certain - being absolutely sure
certify - to state that something is true
Chrom/o chromat/o, chros
Color, pigment
achromatic - without color
chromium - a blue-white metallic chemical element, chromatics - the study of color
Chron/o
Time
chronic - lasting for a long time
chronological - arranging events in time order synchronize - happening at the same time
Chrys/o
Gold, yellow
chrysanthemum and helichrysum - golden/yellow flowers chrysolite - a yellowish gem
Cide, cis/e
Cut, kill
homicide - murder; incisor - a sharp tooth for cutting food insecticide - a chemical used to kill insects
Circu/m, circle
Around, about
circumnavigate - to sail around
circumscribe - to draw around
circumspect - looking around
circuitous - taking a roundabout course
Claim, clam
Shout, speak up
clamor - to shout and make noise
exclaim - to cry out loudly and suddenly
proclamation - something announced officially in public
Clar
Clear
clarification - an explanation
clarify - to make something clear; declare - to state something clearly
Clud, clus
Close
conclusion - the end or last part
exclusion - shutting out, rejecting
seclude - to keep away from; to isolate
Cli/clin/cliv
Lean, inclined, sloped
inclination - a leaning toward
incline - a surface that slopes or leans; recline - to lean back and relax
Synclinal - sloping downward from opposite directions and meeting in a comment point
Proclivity - tendency; inclination
Co
With, together, joint
Col
Together, jointly
Collaborate - to work together
collision - smashing together
colloquial - words formed by everday interaction
Com
Together, common
commemorate - to memorize together
composition - an arrangement or putting together of parts commune - living together while owning things in common
Cogn/i, gno
Know
cognition - process of acquiring knowledge
incognito - disguised so no one knows you
recognize - to discover that one knows
diagnosis - process of determining the nature and cause of a disease
prognosticate - predict on the basis of present conditions
Con
With, jointly
concur - to agree with someone
contemporary - of the same time period as others convention - a gathering of people with a common interest
Contra/contro
Against, opposite
contradict - to argue against
Contraflow, contraception, contrary not in agreement, controversy disagreement
Corp/o
Body
corporation - a company recognized by law as a single body
corpse - a dead body; corporal - pertaining to the body
Cosm/o
Universe
cosmonaut - a Russian astronaut
cosmos - the universe
microcosm - a miniature universe
Cred
Believe
credence - belief that something is true or valid
credulous - believing things too easily, gullible
incredible - unbelievable
credo - statement of belief or principle
Crypto
Hidden, secret
cryptic - of hidden meaning
cryptography - science of secret codes
encrypt - encode into secret code
Cumul
Mass, heap
accumulate - to gather or pile up
cumulative - gradually building up
Curs, cour, curr
Run, course
concurrent- running parallel
current- flowing easily and smoothly
cursive- having a flowing, easy, impromptu character
courier - a messenger
Deci
One tenth
deciliter - a tenth of a liter; decimate - reduce dramatically; decibel - one tenth of the sound volume unit bel
Dem/o
Common people
democracy - government of the people
demographic - the study of people
epidemic - spreading among people in a region
pandemic - spread over a whole area or country
demagogue - leader who appeals to emotion or prejudice
Demi
Half, less than, partly
demitasse - a small cup of coffee
demimonde - someone of little respected life styled
demirep - a person whose reputation is doubtful
Dendr/o/i
Tree
philodendron - a climbing plant that grows on trees dendrochronology - dating events by studying growth rings in trees
dendriform - in the shape of a tree
Dent, dont
Tooth
Derm/a
Skin
Di/plo
Two, twice
dichromatic - displaying two colors
diploma - a certificate, literally “a letter folded double” dilemma - a situation that requires a choice between two alternatives
Di/s
Apart, away, not, to the opposite
digression - a departure from the main issue, subject disappear - to move out of sight
dissect - to cut apart piece by piece
Dia
Through, between, apart, across
diagnosis - understanding a condition by going through a detailed review of symptoms
dialog - conversation between two people
diaphonous - so fine as to be almost transparent or translucent
Dic/t
Speak, say, pronounce
contradict - to express the opposite of
prediction - a statement foretelling the future
dictate - to speak out loud for another person to write down
edict - a formal command
indict - charge with a crime
dictum - an authoritarian statement
Dom/in
Master
dominate - to be the master of
domineering - excessively controlling
predominate - to have more power than others
Indomitable - unconquerable, not able to be subdued
Don/at
Give
donation - a contribution or gift
donor - someone who gives something
pardon - to give forgiveness for an offense
Duc/t
Lead. pull
conduct - to lead musicians in playing music educate - to lead to knowledge deduction - a subtraction of an amount induce - bring about abduct - carry by force
Du/o
Two, twice
Dur
Harden, to last, lasting
durable - having the quality of lasting
duration - the length of time something lasts
enduring - able to last
Dyn/a/am
Power, energy, strength
dynamo - a generator of energy
dynamic - having physical energy/power
dynamite - a powerful explosive
Dys
Abnormal, bad
dyspepsia - abnormal digestion
dystopia - an imaginary place of total misery
dyslexia - impairment of the ability to handle words
E/ex
Out, away, apart, beyond, from
emissary - a representative of a country or group sent on a mission eject - throw out forcefully efferent extricate - free from enervate - weaken
Ego
Self
egoistic - self-centered
alter ego - a higher aspect of oneself
egomania - excessive preoccupation with oneself
Em, en
Into, cover with, cause
empathy - intention to feel like another person
empower - put into power
engorge - make larger
Endo
Within, inside
endotherm - a creature that can keep its inside temperature fairly constant
endocrine - relating to glands that secrete directly into the blood or lymph
endogamy - the custom to marry within one’s clan, tribe etc
endobiotic - living as a parasite within a host
Enn/i, Anni
Years
bicentennial - of or relating to an age or period of 200 years
centennial - of or relating to an age or period of 100 years
perennial -lasting through many years
En, in
Inside, inwards
envision - to picture in the mind
enclose - lock inside
inwards - towards the inside
Ep/i
On, upon, over, among, at, after, to, outside
epidemic - the rapid spread of something negative epilogue - a short speech delivered after a play
epicenter - the center of an earthquake
epidermis - outside layer of skin covering the dermis
epitath - inscription on a tombstone
epigeal - living in or near the surface of the ground
Equ/i
Equal, equally
equidistant - an equal distance from two points equanimity - calm temperament, evenness of temper equation - a statement of equality
Erg/o
Work
ergonomics - study of the working environment
energy - the power to accomplish work
energetics - science that looks at energy and its transformation
synergic - working together
Esth, aesth
Feeling, sensation, beauty
esthetician - someone who beautifies
aesthetic - pertaining to a sense of beauty
kinesthesia - the sensation of bodily movement
Ethno
Race, people
ethnic - pertaining to a defined group of people ethnocentric - focusing on the ethnicity of people ethnology - the science of people and races
Eu
Good, well
euphemism - replacing an offensive word with an inoffensive one
euphonious - having a pleasant sound
euphoria - feeling of well-being
Ex
From, out
excavate - to dig out
exhale - to breathe out; extract - to pull out
Extra, extro
Outside of, beyond, besides, more
extraordinary - beyond ordinary
extraterrestrial - outside the Earth
extrovert - an outgoing person
extraneous - not essential
Fac/t/fic/fec
Make, do
artifact - an object made by a person factory - a place where things are made malefact - a person who does wrong beneficent - performing acts of kindness confection - act of making a sweet soporific - something that produces sleep
Fer
Bring, bear, carry
confer - to bring an honor to someone
ferry - a boat that carries passengers
transfer - to move to another place
Fid
Faith, trust
confide - place trust in someone fidelity - faithfulness fiduciary - a trustee perfidious - faithless, disloyal fidelity - loyalty; exact correspondence
Flect/flex
Bend
deflect - to bend course because of hitting something inflection - a bending in the voice’s tone or pitch
flexible - easily bending
circumflex - curving around
Flor/a, fleur
Flower
For
Completely (used to intensify the meaning of a word)
forsaken or forfeited - completely lost; forgiven - completely given (a release of debt)
Fore
In front of, previous, earlier
forebear - ancestor
forebode - to give an advance warning of something bad forecast - a preview of events to be
Form
Shape
conformity- correspondence in form, manner, or character
formation- something that is formed
reformatory- intended for reformation
Fract, frag
Break
fracture - a break; fragile - easy to break
fragment or fraction - a part or element of a larger whole
Fug
Flee, runaway, escape
fugitive - a person who is running away
refuge - a sheltered place to flee to
refugee - a person seeking protection
Func/t
Performance, work
defunct - no longer working or alive function - to work or perform a role normally malfunction - to fail to work correctly perfunctory - performed as a duty; superficial
Fus
Pour
confusion - being flooded with too much information that is hard to make sense of
fuse - to melt by heating
infuse - to put into
Gastr/o
Stomach
gastric - pertaining to the stomach
gastronomy - serving the stomach by providing good food
gastritis - inflammation of the stomach
Gen/o/e, genesis
Birth, production, formation, kind
genealogy - the study of the history of a family
generation - all the people born at approximately the same time
genetic -relating to heredity encoded in the genes
genesis - beginning; origin
gentry - people of standin
Geo
Earth, soil, global
geography - study of the earth’s surface
geology - study of the structure of the earth
geoponics - soil based agriculture
Ger
Old age
geriatrics - medicine pertaining to the elderly gerontocracy - the rule of the elders
gerontology - the science of aging
Giga
A billion
Gon
Angle
Gram
Letter, written
diagram - a simple drawing
grammar - rules of how to write words in sentences telegram - a message sent by telegraph
Gran
Grain
granary- a storehouse or repository for grain especially after it is threshed or husked
granola- a mixture of rolled oats and other ingredients granule- a little grain (as of sugar)
Graph/y/gram
Written, recorded, writing
Graphology - the study of handwritings autograph - written with one's own hand seismograph - a machine noting strength and duration of earthquakes epigram - short and witty saying gramophone - a record player
Grat
Pleasing
gratify - to please someone
grateful - feeling thankful
gratuity - a tip, token of appreciation
Gyn/o/e
Woman, female
gynecology - the science of female reproductive health gynephobia - fear of women
gynecoid - resembling a woman
Gress, grad/e/i
To step, to go
digression - a departure from the main issue, subject, etc. progress - movement forward or onward
gradual - step by step
Hect/o, hecat
Hundred
Helic/o
Spiral, circular
Heli/o
Sun
heliotropism - movement or growth in relating to the sun heliograph - apparatus used to send message with the help of sunlight
helianthus - genus of plants including sunflowers
Hemi
Half, partial
hemicycle - a semicircular structure
hemisphere - one half of the earth
hemistich - half a line of poetry
Hem/o/a
Blood
hemorrhage - clotting of the blood
hemorrhoids - swelling of the blood vessels
hemoglobin - red blood particle
Hepa
Liver
hepatitis - inflammation of the liver
hepatoma - a tumor of the liver
hepatotoxic - toxic and damaging to the liver
Hept/a
Seven
heptagon - a shape with seven angles and seven sides Heptateuch - the first seven books of the Old Testament heptameter - a line of verse consisting of seven metrical feet
Herbi
Grass, plant
herbicide - any chemical used to kill unwanted plants, etc.
herbivorous - plant-eating
herbal - relating to plants
Hetero
Different, other
heterogeneous - made up of unrelated parts
heteronyms - words with same spelling but different meanings
heterodox - not conforming to traditional beliefs
Hex/a
Six
Histo
Tissue
histology - study of the microscopic structure of tissues histochemistry - study of the chemical constitution of cells and tissues
Homo, homeo
Like, alike
Hygr/o
Moisture, humidity
hygrometer - tool used to measure humidity
hygrograph - instrument for recording variations in atmospheric humidity
Hyper
Over, excess
Hypo
Under
Iatr/o
Medical care
geriatrics - medical care of the elderly
pediatrician - a doctor who treats children
podiatry - medical care for feet
Icon
Image
icon - an (often religious) image, in modern usage a simplified graphic of high symbolic content
iconology - science of symbols and icons
iconoclast - someone who destroys religious images and traditional beliefs
Idio
Peculiar, personal, distinct
idiomatic - Peculiar to a particular language
idiosyncracy - a physical or mental characteristic typical or a particular person
idiot - someone who is distinctly foolish or stupid
il, into
In, into
illuminate - to give light to
innovation - a new idea, method, or device
inspection - the act of examining or reviewing
ig, il, im, in, ir
Not, without
illegal - not legal; impossible - not possible
inappropriate - not appropriate
irresponsible - not responsible
impoverish - make poor or bankrupt
ignominous - disgraceful and dishonorable
irrelevant - not applicable; unrelated
Imag
Likeness
image - a likeness of someone
imaginative - able to think up new ideas or images imagine - to form a picture or likeness in the mind
Infra
Beneath, below
infrastructure - underlying framework of a system
infrared - below the regular light spectrum
Inter
Between, among, jointly
international - involving two or more countries intersection - place where roads come together
intercept - to stop or interrupt the course of
Intra, intro
Within, inside
intrastate - existing in one state
intravenous - inside or into a vein
introvert - shy person who keeps within him/herself
Ir
Not
irredeemable - not redeemable
irreformable - not reformable
irrational - not rational
Iso
Equal
isobar - a line on a map connecting points of equal barometric pressure
isometric - having equality of measure
isothermal - having equal or constant temperature
Ject
Throw
eject - to throw someone/something out
interject - to throw a remark into a discussion
project - to cast or throw something
Jud/jur/jus
Law, swear, judge, just
judgment - a decision of a court of law
judicial - having to do with judges or courts of law
judiciary - a system of courts of law
perjure - tell a lie under oath
jurisdiction - power to interpret and apply law
justice - quality of being honorable and fair
Junct
Join
conjunction - a word that joins parts of sentences disjunction - a disconnection
junction - a place where two things join
Juven
Young
juvenile - youthful or childish
rejuvenate - to bring back to youthful strength or appearance
Kilo
Thousand
Kine/t/mat
Motion, division
kinetics - study of the force of motion
psychokinesis or telekinesis - the ability to move objects with your mind cinematography - motion picture making
Lab
Work
collaborate - to work with a person
elaborate - to work out the details
laborious - requiring a lot of hard work
Later
Side
bilateral - of or involving two sides
unilateral - affecting one side of something
Luek/o, Luec/o
White, colorless
leukemia - abnormal increase of white blood cells in the blood
leukocyte - a mature white blood cell
leucine - a white, crystalline amino acid
Lex
Word, law, reading
lexicology - the study and history of words
alexia - loss of the ability to read
lexis - vocabulary
lexeme - basic unit of the lexicon of a language
Liber
Free
liberate - to set free
libertine - a person with a free, wild lifestyle
liberty - freedom
Lingu
Language, tongue
linguist - one who studies languages
multilingual - able to communicate in multiple languages linguine - long, flat “tongue-shaped” pasta
Lite, ite, lith/o
Mineral, rock, fossil
apatite - a group of common minerals
granite - a hard, granular rock
monolith - a remarkable, unique stone
Loc
Place
dislocate - to put something out of its usual place
location - a place
relocate - to move to a new place
Log/o
Word, doctrine, discourse
logic - correct reasoning
monologue - a long speech by one speaker
analogy - similarity, especially between things otherwise dissimilar
Loqu, loco, locu, loc
Speak
eloquent - speaking beautifully and forcefully
loquacious - very talkative
elocution - art of public speaking
circumlocution - indirect way of saying something
Luc/lum/lus
Light
elucidate - to explain, to throw light on
lucid - easily understood, giving off light
translucent - allowing light through
Luminous - bright, brilliant
Lud
To play
prelude - introduction to the major performance
illusion - misleading optical image or impression
delude - to mislead, deceive
ludicrous - laughable
elude - evade
Lumin
Light
illuminate - to fill with light
lumen - unit measuring light
Lun/a/i
Moon
lunar - relating to the moon
lunarscape - the surface of the moon
lunatic - insane (as if driven mad by the moon
Acer/acid/acri
Harsh, bitter, sour
acrid - sharp or bitter to the taste or smell, sharp in tone
acrimonious - bitter and sharp in language and tone
acerbate - annoy
Acu
Sharp
Acumen - keenness of judgement
Acuminate - tapering to a point, make sharp
Aev/ev
Age, era
Primeval - belonging to the earliest age
Coeval - existing during the same era
Longevity - long life
Agog
Leader
Pedagogue - teacher
Emmenagogue - agent that induces menstrual flow
Anagogy - mystical interpretation
Ali
Another
Alien = characteristic of another place
Alienation - emotional isolation
Alim
Support, nourish, cherish
Aliment - something that nourishes
Alimony - allowance for support to a divorced person
Alible - nourishing
Alimentary- concerned with nutrition or food
Alter
Other
alternate - proceed by turns
Alternative - one of two mutually exclusive possibilities
Altercate - argue vehemently
Alt
High, deep
Altar - elevated structure
Exaltation - condition of being raised up in rank
Altimeter - instrument that measures elevation
Appell
Name, call upon
appellation - name or title
appellative - relating to the assignment of names
appeal - earnest or urgent request
Apt/ept
Skill, ability
inept - not suitable, having a lack of judgment or reason
apt- exactly suitable
unapt - not suitable
adapt - make suitable to a specific situation
aptitude - inherent ability; a talent
Antiqu
Old, ancient
antiquate - make old-fashioned or obsolete
antique- belonging to an earlier period
Aug/aux
Increase
Augment - make greater
August - dignified
Augur - foretell
Auxiliary - supplementary
Be
Thoroughly, over
Befuddled- confused, perplexed
Beguile - deceive by guile
Besmirched - stained, soiled
Bedecked - adorned in a showy manner
Cap/capit
Head
Captain - someone who commands others
Capitol - building in which a state legislature meets
Capitulate - surrender
Cern
Perceive
concern - regard for
discern - perceive
indiscernible - difficult to perceive
Cit/citat
Call, start
Cite - mention as illustration or proof; to quote as an example
Recite - say aloud before an audience something rehearsed
Civi
Citizen
Civil - relating to a citizen or citizens
Civic - relating to a city, a citizen
Civility - courteous behavior
Caco/kako/kaki
Bad
Cacophony - harsh, discordant
Cacography - bad spelling or handwriting
Kakistocracy - rule by evil people
Clemen
Mild, kind, merciful
Clemency - disposition to show mercy
Inclement - stormy; showing no mercy
Claud/claus/clos/clud/clus
Shut, close
Clause - a stipulation or provision in a document
Exclude - to keep out; reject
Seclusion - isolation; solitude
Recluse - a person who lives in seclusion
Occlude - cause to become closed; obstruct
Cor
Together, with
Corroborate - confirm
Cod
Book
Code - systematic, comprehensive collection of laws
Decode - convert from code into text
Codex - manuscript volume of a classic work
Codicil - an appendix to a will
Cracy/crat
Government, rule, strength
Aristocracy - hereditary ruling class
Plutocrarcy - society ruled by the wealthy
Technocrat - strong believer in technology
Crea
Bring forth, create
Create - bring into being
Creature - something created; a living being
Miscreate - make or shape badly
Cre/cresc/cret/cru
Rise, grow
Accrue - increase
Crescent - increasing, waxing
Increment - something added
Crit
Separate, judge
Critical - inclined to judge severely
Criterion - a standard on which a judgment can be made
Hypocritical - professing beliefs that one does not possess
Cur/cura
Care
Curator - someone who overseas a museum collection
Curette - a surgical instrument that removed growths
Curative - tending to care
Cycl/cyclo
Circle, wheel, cycle
Cyclical - characterized by cycles; moving in cycles
Cyclosis - rotary motion of protoplasm within a cell
De
From, down, away, against, thoroughly
Demolish - tear down completely Deplore - disapprove of; regret Deride - mock Denounce - condemn Deprecate - belittle; express disapproval
Dec/deca
Ten
Decalogue - the ten commandments
Decahedron - a polygon with ten faces
Dei/div
God
divine - having the nature of a god
deify - raise to the condition of a god
deism - belief that a god has created the universe, but exerts no control or influence on it
deific - making divine; characterized by a godlike nature
Dif/dis
Apart, away, not
Diffuse - spread out
Disparity - difference
Dissuade - to persuade someone to alter intentions
Doc/doct
Teach, prove
Doctrinaire - relating to a person who cannot compromise about points of a theory or doctrine
Docent - lecturer
Docile - willing to be taught
Dog/dox
Opinion, belief, praise
Dogmatic - characterized by an authoritarian assertion of unproved principles
Orthodox - adhering to what is commonly accepted
Heterodox - not in agreement with accepted beliefs
Dorm
Sleep
Dormant - inactive, asleep
Dormient - sleeping, dormant, latent
Dormitive, causing sleep
Drom/drome
Run, step, arena
Dromedary - one-humped camel
Hippodrome - arena for equestrian shows
Dromond - a medieval sailing ship
Dupl
Double, two
Duplicity - double-dealing, being twofold, deceptiveness
Duplex - twofold, double
Duple - consisting of two
Ecto
Outside, external
Ectogenous - able to develop outside a host
Ectoplasm - outer part of the cytoplasm of a cell
Ectopia - abnormal location of an organ or body part
Err
Wander, mistake
Errant - mistaken; straying from the proper course
Erratic - lacking regularity; deviating from the customary course
Erroneous - mistake
Erratum - mistake in writing or printing
Eth/ethos
Character
Ethos - character peculiar to a person. people, or culture
Bioethics - study of ethical implications of scientific discoveries
Ethic - set of principles of correct conduct
Ethology - study of human ethos
Fall/fals
Deceptive, false, erroneous
False - untrue, mistaken, wrong
Fallacious - based on a false idea or fact; misleading
Falsify - state untruthly, misrepresent
Fallible - capable of making a mistake
Fed
League, pact
Federation - act of joining into a league or federal union
Confederate - a member of a league; an ally
Fin
End
Finite - limited; impermanent
Finale - concluding part of a musical compsoition
Flu/fluct/flux
Flow
Fluctuate - vary irregularly; rise and fall in waves
Influent - flowing into
Confluence - a flower together; a juncture of two or more streams
Reflux - a flowing back, ebbing
Fort
Brave, strong, change
Fortify - strengthen, reinforce
Forte - a person’s strong point
Fortitude - quality that enables a person to face pain and suffering with courage
Fortuitous - occurring by chance
Frat
Brother
Fratricide - the killing of one’s brother or sister
Fraternize - mingle on friendly terms
Confraternity - an association of persons united in a common purpose
Gam
Marriage
endogamy - marriage within a particular group
exogamy - marriage outside a social unit
gamic - requiring fertilization to reproduce
Gloss/glot
Language, tongue
Glossa - the tongue
Polygot - speaker of many languages
Glossolalia - fabricated and meaningless speech associated with trance states
Grav/griev
Serious, heavy, harmful
Gravity - seriousness
Gravitas - seriousness in demeanor or treatment
Grievous - causing grief or pain
Aggrieved - afflicted, distressed
Greg
Flock, herd
Aggregate - collective mass or sum
Congregation - a gathering
Gregarious - sociable
Segregate - separate from a main body or group
Hom/homo/human
Man, humanity
Humane - characterized by kindness or compassion
Hominoid - belonging to the family Hominidae, which includes apes and man
Hydr/hydra/hyrdro
Water
Hydroelectric - producing electricity through action of falling water
In
In, on, upon, not
Incite - arouse to action Incarnate - having bodily form Indigenous - native Inclusive - including all Incongruity - state of not fitting
Jac/jact/ject
Throw, fling
Reject - refuse to accept
Eject - throw out
Ejaculate - eject abruptly
Lect/leg/lig
Read, choose
Legible - readable Select - make a choice Lecture - someone who reads scriptural passages in a church service Election - ability to make a choice Predilection - preference, liking
Leg
Law
Legacy - a gift made by a will
Illegal - prohibited by law
Legalese - vocabulary of the legal profession
Lev
Light, lift
Levity - light manner or attitude Levitate - rise in the air or cause to rise Lever - means of accomplishing something Alleviate - relieve Leverage - power to act effectively
Librar/libr
Book
Libretto - text of a dramatic musical work
Librettist - author of a libretto
Library - place where books are kept
Liter
Letter
Literati - scholarly or learned persons Literature - a body of written works Illiterate - unable to read and write Literation - letter for letter Literal - limited tot he most obvious meaning of a word; word for word
Macro
Large, long
macrocosm - the universe
macroscopic - large enough to be seen with the naked eye
macrocyte - an abnormally large red blood cell
Magn
Great
Magnify - enlarge
Magnate - Powerful person
Magnitude - extent; greatness of size
Magnanimity - generosity, nobility
Mal
Bad
Malign - speak evil of
Malaise - feeling of discomfort
Malicious - full of animosity and hatred
Man
Hand
Emancipate - liberate
Manipulate - operate or control
Manubrium - a body part that is shaped like a handle
Maniable -easy to handle/flexible
Mand
Order
Mandate - authoritative order or instruction
Mandatory - commanded by authority
Commandment - a command
Mandamus - an order issue by a superior court to a lower court
Reprimand - a strong formal rebuke
Mania
Obsession
Maniacal - characterized by excessive enthusiasm
Mar/mari
Sea
Maritime - relating to the sea
Submarine - undersea
Mater/matr
Mother
Matron - a mother of mature age and social position
Matrix - the womb
Matrilineal - tracing ancestry through the mother’s line
Mega
Great, large
Megaphone - device used to amplify the voice
Megalomania - delusions of power or importance
Megalopolis - vast city
Meta
Change, at a later time, beyond
Metaphor - figure of speech that compares two different things
Metaplasia - change of one kind of tissue into another kind
Metanoia - a spiritual conversion
Metaphysical - pertaining to speculative philosophy
Meter/metr
Measure
Barometer - instrument used in weather forecasting for measuring atmospheric pressure
Perimter - outer limits of an area
Ammeter - instrument that measures electric current in amperes
Metrology - study of weights and measures
Micro
Small
Microbiota - the microscopic life of an area
Micrology - excessive devotion to small details
Min
Small
Diminution - lessening
Diminutive - small
Minutia - petty details
Minuscule - very small
Mis
Hatred, bad, improper, wrong
Miscontrue - misunderstood Misapprehension - a misunderstanding Misnomer - incorrect name Misanthropy - hatred of humanity Misogynist - hater of women
Miss/mit
Move, send
Transmit - send from one place to another
Remittence - something sent as payment
Missive - a letter
Dismiss - put away from consideration
Mittimus - court order that commits one to prision
Mob/mot/mov
Move
Immobile - fixed; motionless
Mobility - state of being capable of moving
Emotive - appealing to or expressing emotion
Movie - sequence of images on a screen so rapid thtt they create the illusion of movement
Mono
One, single
Monologue - speech performed by one act
Monocline - a signle upward fold
Mon/monit
Warn
Monitor - maintain continuous observation of
Admonish - caution or reprimand
Premonition - mild reproof
Remonstrate - object or protest
Mori/mort
Death
Moribund - dying
Mortorio - sculpture of the dead Christ
Immortal - not subject to death
Mortician - undertaker
Morph
Form, shape
Morphous - having definite form
Amorphous - lacking definite form
Morphometry - measurement of form
Anthropomorphic - attributing human qualities to nonhumans
Multi
Many
Multipara - mother of two or more children
Multifaceted - made up of many parts
Multifarious - diverse
Mut
Change
Mutative - in grammar, expressing change of state or place
Mutation - significant genetic change
Transmutation - change in appearance, shape, or nature
Immutable - unchangeable
Mutable - changeable
Nas/nat
Birth, be from, spring forth
Nationality - state of belonging to a particular nation by birth or by naturalization
Nativity - place or circumstances of birth
Natal - relating to birth
Native - an original inhabitant of a particular place
Nascent - starting to develop, coming into existence
Nav
Ship
Naval - relating to ships or shipping
Navigation - theory and practice of charting a ship’s course
Navarch - commander of a fleet
Nec/nic/noc/nox
Kill, death, harm
Internecine - deadly to both sides Pernicious - very harmful Nocent - causing injury Innocuous - not harmful Noxious - injurious to health
Necro
Dead, corpse
Necromancy - divination through communicating with spirits
Necrophobia - fear of dead bodies
Necrotype - extinct species
Neg
No
Negate - nullify; cancel out Negative - indicating opposition Renege - go back on one's word Negligent - careless; inattentive Negligible - not worth considering
Neo
New, recent
Neologism - new word or expression ; an existing word or expression used in a new way
Neophyte - novice, beginner
Neoplasia - formation of new tissue
Neur
Nerve
Neuroid - nervelike
Neuralgia - pain along nerve
Neurergic - pertaining to nerve action
Neut/neutr
Not either
Neutral - belonging to neither side in a war or controversy
Neutralize - make neutral; counterbalance the effect of
Neutrality - state of being neutral
Noct/nox
Night
Noctivagant - wandering around at night
Noctilucous - shining at night
Equinox - either of two times in a year when the Sun crosses the celestial equator
nom/nomen/nym
Name
Nominal - existing in name only
Nom de guerre - war name; pseudonym
Misnomer - incorrect name
Ignominious - disgraceful and dishonorable
Nomenclature - terms used in a particular science or discipline
Non
Not
Nonplussed - bewildered
Nonchalant - casual, unconcerned
Non licet - not lawful
Non sequitur - conclusion not following from apparent evidence
Nondescript - lacking interesting or distinctive qualities; dull
Nov
New
Renovate - restore to an earlier condition
Novice - apprentice, beginner
Novel - new or original
Num
Number
Numismatics - coin collecting
Numeral - a symbol that represents a number
Numerate - count
Enumerate - count off; list
Ob/oc/of/op
Against
Obdurate - stubborn Occlude - shut; block Obliterate - destroy completely Opprobrious - disgraceful; contemptuous Obfuscate - obscure; confuse
Olig
Few, little
Oligopoly - situation with only a few sellers
Oligarchy - government by once a few
Oligondontous - having few teeth
Oligosyllable - a word with only a few syllables
Omni
All, every
Omnipotent - having unlimited power
Omnivorous - eating everything; absorbing everything
Omniscient - having infinite knowledge
Oper
Work
Opera - musical work
Opere citato -already mentioned in the work
Operon - a group of genes that operate as a unit
Operative - functioning
Operose - working hard
Opti/opto
Eye, vision
Optimistic - looking on the positive side
Optician - someone who makes eyeglasses
Optometry - measuring and testing of vision
Optogram - an image fixed on the retina
Ortho
Straight, correct
Orthodox - traditional
Orthopraxy - correct action
Orthodontics - correction of irregularity of teeth
Os/oss/ost/osteo
Bone
Osseous - bony
Ossify - turn into bone
Osteitis - bone inflammation
Pal/paleo
Ancient
Paleontology - study of past
Paleoethnic - relating to the earliest races of man
Paleography - study of ancient writings
Paleology - study of antiquities
Pac
Peace
Pact - a treaty
Pacifist - a person opposed to war
Pacify - to restore calm, bring peace
Pan
All, every
Panorama - broad view; comprehensive picture
Panacea - cure-all
Pantheon - all the gods of a people; group of highly regarded persons
Panoply - impressive array
Pandemic - spread over a whole area
Par
Equal
Parable - simple story that teaches a lesson
Parity - equality
Par - equality of status or value
Apartheid - a system of discrimination based on race
Para
Beyond, related, alongside
Paradigm - model; example; pattern
Paradisiacal - heavenly, wonderful
Paramount - supreme; primary
Paragon - model of excellence
Pas/path
Feeling, disease, suffering
Apathy - indifference Antipathy - dislike Pathos - pity, compassion Pathogen - agent that causes disease Dispassionate - impartial
Pater/patr
Father
Paternity - fatherhood; descent from father’s ancestors
Patronize - condescend to; disparage; buy from
Patronage - support of a sponsor or benefactor
Patricide - murder of one’s father
Ped/pod
Foot
Pediform - shaped like a foot
Pedestrian - commonplace
Pedate - having feet
Pel/puls
Drive, urge
Pulse - a regular or rhythmical beating
Repellant - something that repels or drives back
Repulse - drive back
Propellant - something that provides thrust
Per
Through, completely
Peregrinate - wander through
Percutaneous - effecting something through the skin
Permeable - penetrable
Pervasive - spread throughout every part
Peri
Around, near
Periosteal - around a bone
Peripatetic - moving about or from place to place
Perihelion - the point in orbit nearest the sun
Perigree - the point in orbit nearest earth
Periphrasis - circumlocution
Pet
Seek, request, assail
Petition - a request to a superior authority
Competition - the act of striving against others to attain a goal
Petulant - contemptuous; peevish
Repetitive - given to the act of repeating
Petitio principli - begging the que`stion
Phil
Love, fondness, preference
Philanthropist - lover of mankind; doer of good
Technophile - lover of technology
Philtre - love potion
Phon
Sound, voice
Phonic - relating to sound
Phonetics - study of speech sounds
Cacophony - jarring, unpleasant noise
Phos/phot
Light
Photosensitive - sensitive to light or radiant energy
Phototaxis - growth directed by light
Phys/physio
Nature
Physiology - the function of a living organism
Physical - relating to the body
Physiolatry - worship of nature
Pict
Paint
Depict - represented in a picture
Pictograph - a picture that represents a word or idea
Plac
Please
Placid - calm
Placate - lessen another’s anger
Implacable - inflexible, incapable of being appeased
Complacent - self-satisfied
Poli
City, state, citizen
Cosmopolitan - common to the whole world
Polity - political organization of a state
Poly
Many
Polyphony - use of one symbol for many sounds
Pon/pos
Put, place
Compose - constitute or form Component - an element or ingredient Composite - made up of components Oppose - place so as to be opposite something else Repose - place, to lay down
Popul
The people
Populace - the masses
Populous - containing many inhabitants
Post
After, behind
Post factum - after the event
Poshumous - after a person’s death
Postdiluvian - after the flood
Pre
Before, earlier
Prenatal - before birth
Preclude - make impossible in advance
Precedent - a model for something that follows
Prehend/prehens
Seize, grasp
Prehensile - able to grasp
Prehension - act of grasping
Apprehension - act of seizing; understanding
Reprehend - censure
Prim
Before, first
Prima facie - at first sight; on the face of it
Primapara - a woman having her first child
Primeval - ancient, primative
Pro
In favor of
Proponent - a supporter
Prodigy - highly gifted child
Propensity - inclination
Proto
First, earliest
Protogenic - formed at the beginning
Prototype - an original model
Protoplast - an original ancestor
Pseudo
False
Pseudonym - pen name; fictitious or borrowed name
Pseudopsia - an optical illusion
Pseudodox - false doctrine
Psych
Mind
Pub
Public
Republic - political order in which body of citizens has supreme power
Publish - announce; bring to attention of the public
Punct
Point, prick
Punctilious - strictly attentive to small details of form in conduct
Punctilio - a fine point of etiquette
Punctual - prompt
Put/putat
Think, calculate
Putative - supposed
Repute - consider; suppose
Reputed - supposed to be such
Compute - determine an amount or number
Quer/ques/quir/quis
Ask/seek
Query - a question
Inquest - an investigation
Inquisition - an investigation
Re
Back again, repeat
Recant - retract a statement or opinion
Rebut - refute by evidence
Recurrence - repetition
Rect
Straight
Erect - fix in an upright position
Erectile - able to be raised to an upright position
Rectitude - moral uprightness
Rect/reg/regn
Rule, govern
Rector - an Anglican cleric in charge of a parish
Correct - remove the errors from
Regime - a government in power
Regulation - a law to govern conduct
Retro
Backward
Retrospect - review or contemplation of the past
Retrograde - having a backward motion or direction
Retroject - throw back
Rid/ris
Laugh
Deride - mock
Ridicule - contemptuous laughter at a person
Derision - ridicule
Ridibund - easily moved to laughter
Rog/Rogat
Ask
Interrogatory - asking a question
Rogatory - requesting information
Rogation - solemn prayer
Sacr/sant
Sacred, holy
Sci
Know
Scibile - something that is possible to know
Sciolism - conceited and shallow knowledgeability
Prescient - having foresight
Scop
Examine, observe, watch
Scopic - visual
Telescope - device used to observe distant objects
Periscope - optical instrument used to see things from a position not in a direct line of sight
Scrib/scrip
Write
Ascribe - attribute to a cause or source
Prescribe - set down a rule; recommend a treatment
Se
Away, apart
Secede - withdraw from membership in an alliance
Select - pick out; choose
Seclusion - act of keeping apart from social contract
Secretive - not open or frant
Sec/sect/segm
Cut
Secant - a straight line that intersects a curve at two or more points
Segmented - divided into parts
Dissect - cut apart
Sectile - relating to a mineral that can be cut smoothly by a knife
Secu/sequ
Follow
Prosecutor - one who initiates a civil or criminal court action Sequel - something that follows Inconsequential - insignificant Obsequious - overly submissive Sequatious - disposed to follow another
Semi
Half, partly
Sens/sent
Feel, be aware
Sentient - aware, conscious, able to perceive
Sentisection - vivisection performed without the use of anesthesia
Sentiment - a view based on emotion rather than reason
Sensate - perceived by the senses
Insensible - unconscious; unresponsive
Sol
Sun
Solv/solu
Free, loosen, dissolve
Soluble - able to be dissolved
Solute - substance dissolved in another one
Dissolution - disintegration; debauchery
Irresolute - undecided
Somn
Sleep
Somnolent - sleepy
Somniferous - inducing sleep
Soph
Wise, skillful, shrewd
Sophist - one who is skilled in deceptive argumentation
Sophistry - plausible but misleading argumentation
Sophisticate - make more worldly
Sophomoric - showing lack of judgment
Spec/spect/spic
See, look at
Specimen - a representative of a class or whole; a sample
Specter - an apparition
Speculate - take something as true based on insufficient evidence
Retrospective - review of the past
Spir
Breath, energy, animation
Respiration - breathing
Aspiration - expulsion of breath in speaking
Spirit - animating force within living things
Spirited - animated; courageous
Spirograph - device that records the movements of breathing
Strict/string
Tight, drawn together
Restrict - keep within limits
Stricture - a limit or restriction
Stringent - imposing rigorous standards; constricted; tight
Constrict - squeeze of compress; restrict the scope of
Struct
Build
Destruction - act of destroying
Structure - something built
Instruction - act of providing with knowledge
Sub/suc/suf/sug/sup/sus
Below, under, less
Subtle - hard to detect
Suppress - put down by force
Suspend - defer, interrupt
Super/sur
Over, above
Superior - higher than another in rank or authority
Supersede - take the place of
Insuperable - insurmountable, unconquerable
Supernal - celestial; heavenly
Syl/sym/syn/sys
Together, with
Syllogism - argument with a conclusion deduced from two premises
Syndicate - association of people who undertake a duty or transact business
Synthesis - blend, combination
System - group of interrelated elements that form a whole
Tact, tang
Touch
Contact - a coming together or touching
Tactile - relating to the sense of touch
Tactus - sense of touch
Tangible - able to be douched
Tele
Distance, far
Telemeter- an instrument that measures distance
Telemetry - science of transmitting data from someplace remote to a distant receiving station
Teleseism - tremor from a distant earthquake
Tempor
Time
Contemporary - belonging to the same time period
Temporal - related to time
Temporize - act evasively to gain time, postpone a decision
Ten/tain
Hold
Detain - delay; keep from proceeding
Tenacious - stubborn, holding firm
Content - something that is contained
Tend/tens/tent
Stretch, strive
Tension - act of stretching tight
Contend - strive in opposition; to struggle
Term
End, limit
Terminal - concluding, final; fatal
Terminate - end
Interminable - endless
Terr
Land, the earth
Terrestrial - earthly
Terra incognita - unknown land
Terti
Third
Tertian - recurring after three days
Tertiary - third in degree of rank
The/thei/theo
God
Theocracy - government by priests representing a god
Apotheosis - glorification; glorified ideal
Theogamy - marriage of gods
Therap
Attend, treat
Therapy - treatment of illness
Therapeutic - having healing powers
Therm/thermo
Warm, hot
Thermal - relating to, or caused by heat
Thermolabile - subject to change or destruction by heating
Tom/tome/tomy
Cut, section
Tome - one book in a work of many volumes
Microtome - instrument that cuts specimens into slices
Gastrotomy - surgical incision into the stomach
Top/topo
Place, region
