Vocab 10 Flashcards
SEMI- (semis)
‘half’, ‘partly’
- SEMI-LUN-ate, half-moon-shaped;
- SEMI-CAUD-ate, with a
rudimentary tail
UN- (unus)
‘one’
- UN-ique;
- UN-iform;
- UN-ANIM-ity;
- UNI-FOLI-ate, with one leaf;
- UNI-PAR-ous, producing one
offspring at a birth; - UNI-STRATE, having only one
layer
PRIM- (primus)
‘first’
- PRIM-ary;
- PRIM-ates, the highest order of the
vertebrate class Mammalia,
including man, apes, monkeys and
lemurs; - PRIMI-PAR-ous, pertaining to a
woman bearing or giving birth to her
first child
SESQUI- (sesqui)
‘one-and-a-half times’
- SESQUI-CENT-ENNI-ial;
- SEQUI-CHLOR-ide, a compound of
chlorine and another element
containing three parts of chlorine and
two of the other element;
DU- (duo)
‘two’
- DU-et; DU-al;
- DU-PLIC-ate;
- DU-PLICI-DENT, with two pairs of
incisors in the upper jaw;
BI-, BIN- (bi-)
‘two’, ‘twice’
- BI-NATE, growing in pairs;
- BI-FID, forked, opening with a
median cleft; - BI-STRAT-ose, with cells arranged
in two layers
SECOND-, SECUND- (secundus)
‘second’, ‘following’
- SECOND-ary;
- SECUNDI-GRAV-ida, a woman
pregnant the second time
TRI- (tres, tria)
‘three’
- TRI-DENT;
- TRI-VI-al;
- TRI-COST-ate, with three ribs;
- TRI-FID, cleft to form three lobes
TERTI- (tertius)
‘third’
- TERTI-ary, third, pertaining to third
stage of disease; - TERT-ian, recurring every other day,
as a tertian fever
TERN- (terni)
‘three each’
- TERN-ary, consisting of or based on
three, or pertaining to a crystal
system in which three-sided forms
occur, or an alloy with three
elements;
TER- (ter)
‘three times’
- TER-VAL-ent, having a valence of
three, triple
QUADR(U)- (quadrus)
‘four’
- QUADRU-PLE; QUADRI-JUG-ate,
applies to pinnate lear having four
pairs of leaflets; - QUADRU-PED, a four-footed
animal
QUART- (quartus)
‘fourth’
- QUART-an, recurring every three
days (or four, counting inclusively),
as on first, fourth and seventh day;
QUATERN- (quarter)
‘four each’
- QUATERN-ate, in sets of four
(applies to leaves growing in fours
from one point
QUINQUE- (quinque)
‘five’
- QUINQUE-PART-ite, divided into
five parts
QUINT- (quintus)
‘fifth’
- QUIN-ary, applies to flower
symmetry in which there are five
parts to a whorl;
QUIN- (quin)
‘five each’
- QUINTU-PL-et, one of five children
born at one birth
SEX- (sex)
‘six’
- SEX-OSTI-atae, group of spiders
marked by six cardiac ostia
SEXT- (sextus)
‘sixth’
- SEXT-ant, a maximum angle of sixty
degrees;
SEPT-, SEPTEM- (septem)
‘seven’
- SEPTEM-ber;
- SEPTEM-PART-ite, divided into
seven parts;
NOTE: don’t confuse with Greek root SEP- ‘rot’ of
List 4 or the Latin SEPT- ‘separate’ of List 9.
SEPTIM- (septimus)
‘seventh’
- SEPTIM-al, based on the number
seven
OCT- (octo)
‘eight’
- OCTO-RADI-ate, having eight rays
or arms; - OCT-ane, the eighth member of the
paraffin or marsh gas series
OCTAV- (octavus)
‘eighth’
- OCTAV-e
NOVEM- (novem)
‘nine’
- NOVEM-ber;
NON- (nonus)
‘ninth’
- NON-illion, ten to the thirtieth
power; - NON-an, having an exacerbation
every ninth day
DECEM- (decem)
‘ten’;
- DECEM-FID, cleft into ten parts
DEC-, DECIM- (decimus)
‘tenth’
- DECIM-ate;
- DECI-LITRE, one-tenth of a litre;
CENT- (centum)
‘hundred’, ‘hundredth’
- CEN-ENN-ial;
- CENT-uri-on;
- CENTI-PEDE, elongated segmented
arthropods with many legs; - CENTI-metre, one-hundredth of a
metre
NOTE: not to be confused with the similar Greek
root CENTE- ‘puncture’ of List 3
MIL(L)- (mille)
‘thousand’, ‘thousandth’
- MILL-ENN-ium;
- MILLI-PEDE, myriopods
constituting the the class Diplopoda
having numerous segments and legs; - MILLI-metre, one-thousandth of a
metre
ALVEOL- (alveolus)
‘cavity’, ‘hollow’
- ALVEOL-ar, relating to an alveolus;
- ALVEOL-us, a small cavity, pit, or
hollow, in particular: any of the
many tiny air sacs of the lungs which
allow for rapid gaseous exchange;
the bony socket for the root of a
tooth; an acinus (sac-like cavity) in a
gland; - ALVEOL-ation, the formation of
alveoli
ATRI- (atrium)
‘entrance hall’, ‘room’
- ATRI-um, each of the two upper
cavities of the heart from which
blood is passed to the ventricles; - ATRIO-VENTR-icular, relating to
the atrial and ventricular chambers of
the heart, or the connection or
coordination between them
AX- (axis)
‘axis’
- AX-ial, relating to or forming an
axis; - AB-AX-ial, facing away from the
stem of a plant (in particular
denoting the lower surface of a leaf); - AD-AX-ial, facing towards the stem
of a plant (in particular denoting the
upper surface of a leaf); - AXO-POD-ium, a pseudopodium
with axial filament
BARB- (barba)
‘beard’
- barber;
- BARB-ule, a minute filament
projecting from the barb of a feather; - BARB-ate, bearded;
- BARBI-cel, a small process on a
feather barbule
NOTE: this is not the root for “barbarian” which
comes from Greek and is unrelated to the ‘beard’
meaning. Instead, “barbarian” is from the Greek
βάρβαρος, which means “those who speak gibberish”
(“bar bar bar” is Greek for our “blah blah blah”).”
BIL- (bilis)
‘bile’
- BILI-ous, affected by or associated
with nausea or vomiting; - BILI-RUB-in, an orange-yellow
pigment formed in the liver by the
breakdown of haemoglobin and
excreted in bile; - BILI-VERD-in, a green pigment
excreted in bile (the oxidized
derivative of bilirubin); - BILI-ary, relating to bile or the bile
duct.
BRACT(E)- (bractea)
‘thin plate’
- BRACT, a modified leaf or scale,
typically small, with a flower or
flower cluster in its axil; - BRACTE-ate, having or bearing
bracts; - BRACTE-ole, a small bract, esp. one
on a floral stem
BURS- (bursa)
‘bag’, ‘pouch’
- bursary; bursar; disburse; reimburse;
- BURSA, a fluid-filled sac or sac-like
cavity, especially one countering
friction at a joint; - BURS-itis, inflammation of a bursa,
typically one in a shoulder joint; - BURS-icle, a pouch-like receptacle
CALC-, CALCANE- (calx, calcis;
calcaneus)
‘heel’
- CALC-aneus (pl. calcanei), the large
bone forming the heel; - CALC-aneal, pertaining to the heel
bone; - CALC-aneo-CAVUS, a type of
talipes (a deformity of the foot)
NOTE: Not to be confused with CALC- ‘limestone’
or CALCAR- ‘spur.’ This root is related to
CALCAR-, as the ‘heel’ is used to ‘spur’ on a horse.
CAN-, CAND- (canus; candidus)
‘white’, ‘grey’; ‘to be glowing white’
- candid;
- candidate;
- candour;
- in-CAND-esc-ent, emitting light as a
result of being heated; - CAN-ities, greyness or whiteness of
the hair
NOTE: Not to be confused with the homonymous
CAN- ‘dog’ of List 7.
CERVIC- (cervix, cervicis)
‘neck’
- CERVIC-al, relating to the narrow
neck-like passage forming the lower
end of the womb (or simply relating
to the neck); - CERVIC-itis, inflammation of the
neck of the womb; - CERVICO-BRACHI-ALG-ia,
condition in which pain extends from
the cervical region to arms or fingers
CLAV- (clava)
‘club’
- CLAV-ate or CLAV-iform, clubshaped; thicker at the apex than the
base; - ob-CLAV-ate, club-shaped and
attached at the thicker end
NOTE: not to be confused with the homonymous
CLAV- ‘key’
CLAV- (clavis)
‘key’, ‘bolt’, ‘collarbone’
- enclave;
- exclave;
- clavichord;
- CLAV-icle, the collarbone;
- sub-CLAV-ian, under the clavicle;
- CLAVIC-ular, pertaining to the
clavicle
NOTE: not to be confused with the homonymous
CLAV- ‘club’
CLIN- (KLIN-) (clinatus)
‘to slope’, ‘to lean’
- incline;
- decline;
- CLINO-CEPHA-ly, congenital
flatness or concavity of the vertex of
the head; - syn-CLINE, a trough or fold of
stratified rock in which the strata
slope upwards from the axis
NOTE: The verbal meaning of this root only exists in
compound forms in Latin (inclinere, declinere). It is
taken from the Greek KLIN- (κλινῶ), but the ‘K’ is
not used often today.
CORP-, CORPUS-, CORPOR- (corpus,
corporis)
‘body’
- CORPOR-al;
- in-CORPOR-al;
- CORPS;
- in-CORPOR-ate;
- CORPUS-cle, a minute body or cell
in an organism, especially a red or
white cell in the blood of vertebrate
COX- (coxa)
‘hip’, ‘hip joint’
- COXA, (in anatomy) the hip bone or
hip joint; (in entomology) the first or
basal segment of the leg of an
insect); - COX-ALG-ia, pain in the hip joint;
- EPI-COX-ite, a small process at the
end of the toothed part of the coxa in
insects
CREN- (crena)
‘notch’
- CREN-ate, having a round-toothed
or scalloped edge (especially of a
leaf or shell); - CREN-ul-ate, having a finely
scalloped or notched outline or edge
(especially of a leaf, shell, or
shoreline)
EGO- (ego)
‘I’ (first-person pronoun)
- egotism; egotistical;
- ALTER-EGO-ism, an altruistic
feeling for only those who are in the
same situation as oneself; - EGO-mania, obsessive egotism or
self-centredness; - super-EGO, the part of a person’s
mind that acts as a self-critical
conscience, reflecting social
standards learned from parents and
teachers
FACI-, (-FICI-) (facies)
‘face’, ‘surface’
- BI-FACI-al, applies to leaves with
distinct upper and lower surfaces; - CORONO-FACI-al, relating to the
crown of the head and the face; - inter-FACE, a surface which forms
the boundary between two faces or
systems; - super-FICIES, outer surface
FAV- (favus)
‘honeycomb’
- FAV-ella, a conceptacle of certain
red algae; - FAV-eol-ate, honeycombed or
alveolate; - FAVUS, a distinctive type of tinea
capitis characterized by the
formation of honeycomb-like mats
FIBUL- (fibula)
‘clasp’, ‘brooch’ ‘outer bone of the leg’
- FIBULA (pl. fibulae), the outer and
usually smaller of the two bones
between the knee and the ankle; - in-FIBUL-ation, the controversial
practice of excising the clitoris and
labia of a girl or woman and
stitching together the edges of the
vulva to prevent sexual intercourse; - para-FIBUL-ar, pertaining to an
accessory element outside the fibula
FREN- (frenum)
‘rein’, ‘bridle’
- FREN-ulum or FREN-um, (in
anatomy) a small fold or ridge of
tissue which supports or checks the
motion of the part to which it is
attached, in particular a fold of skin
beneath the tongue, or between the
lip and the gum; (in entomology,
applying to some moths and
butterflies) a bristle or row of bristles
on the edge of the hindwing which
keeps it in contact with the forewing; - FREN-ate, having a frenulum
NOTE: ‘frenzy’, ‘frenetic’ are from Greek PHREN-,
not this Latin root.
FRONT- (frons, frontis)
‘forehead’, ‘front’
- FRONS (pl. frontes), the forehead or
equivalent part of an animal,
especially the middle part of an
insect’s face between the eyes and
above the clypeus; - FRONT-al, relating to the forehead
or front part of the skull; - FRONT-al BONE, the bone which
forms the front part of the skull and
the upper part of the eye sockets; - FRONT-ad, toward the frontal
aspect; - FRONTO-NAS-al, pertaining to the
frontal sinus and the nose
FRUCTIC- (frutex, fruticis)
‘shrub’
- FRUTEX, a shrub;
- FRUTIC-ose, (of a lichen) having
upright or pendulous branches; - FRUT-esc-ent, shrublike
NOTE: not to be confused with FRUG-/FRUCT-
‘fruit’
FRUG-, FRUCT- (frux, frugis; fructus)
‘fruit’
- FRUCTI-FIC-at-ion, fruit formation;
- FRUCT-ose, fruit sugar;
- FRUCT-esc-ence, the period of
maturing of fruits
FURC- (furca)
‘fork’
- FURC-ate;
- TRI-FURC-ate, to divide into three
branches or forks; furca (pl. furcae,
an ingrowth of the thorax of many
insects; - FURC-ula, the wishbone of a bird.
FUS- (fusus)
‘spindle’
- FUSE-LAGE;
- FUS-illi, spindle-shaped pasta;
- FUS-arium, a mould of a large genus
which includes a number that cause
plant diseases, especially wilting; - FUS-ee, a conical pulley or wheel,
especially in a watch or clock
NOTE: Not to be confused with the other Latin root,
FUND-, FUS- (pour, melt), as in ‘fusion’, ‘fuse’.
FUSC- (fuscus)
‘dark’, ‘brown’, ‘tawny’
- ob-FUSC-ate, make obscure,
unclear, or unintelligible; - FUSC-ous, dark and sombre in
colour; - FUSC-in, a brown pigment in the
retinal epithelium
GEMIN- (GEMELL-) (geminus)
‘twin’, ‘paired’; the second root is the
diminutive form (gemellus)
- GEMIN-ate, growing in pairs,
paired; - BI-GEMIN-ate, doubly paired, twinforked;
- BI-GEMIN-y, the condition of
occurring in pairs, or in cardiology, a
premature beat coupled with each
normal heartbeat
GEMM- (gemma)
‘bud’
- GEM;
- GEMMA, a small cellular body or
bud that can separate to form a new
organism; - GEMM-ation, asexual reproduction
by the production of gemmae;
budding; - GEMM-ule, a tough-coated dormant
cluster of embryonic cells produced
by a freshwater sponge for
development in more favourable
conditions
GEN-, GENIT- (gigno → genui, genitus)
‘to produce’, ‘to beget’
- pro-GENIT-or; con-GENI-al;
- con-GEN-er, a person, animal, plant
or thing allied by origin, nature or
function to another; - GENIT-al;
NOTE: not to be confused with the Greek root GEN-
‘be produced’ of List 1 and GEN(U)- ‘knee’ below.
GENER- (genus, generis)
‘race’, ‘kind’
- GENER-ic
- GENER-ation
GEN(U)- (genu)
‘knee’
- GENU-ine (with reference to the
Roman custom of a father
acknowledging paternity of a
newborn child by placing it on his
knee); - GENU-FLECT;
- GENU, the knee; (in Anatomy and
Biology) a part of certain structures
resembling a knee, in particular a
bend in the corpus callosum of
mammals; - GENI-cul-ate, bent at a sharp angle
NOTE: see note on GEN- above.
GERM-, GERMIN- (germen, germinis)
‘sprout’, ‘bud’, ‘germ’
- GERM; GERM-ane;
- GERMIN-ate;
- GERM-icide, an agent that kills
germs; - GERMI-DUCT, the obiduct of a
trematode (a parasitic flatworm)
NOTE: this is not the root for the country Germany,
which comes from the Latin Germania, which
probably is borrowed from Celtic. It is not, funnily
enough, a Germanic word.
GINGIV- (gingiva)
‘the gums’
- GINGIVA, the gums;
- LABIO-GINGIV-al, pertaining to
the lips and gums - GINGIV-itis
INCUS-, INCUD- (incus, incudis)
‘anvil’
- INCUS, the middle arc of the chain
of ossicles in the ear, so named from
its resemblance to an anvil; - INCUD-ectomy, surgical removal of
the incus
INGUIN- (inguen, inguinis)
‘groin’
- INGUIN-al, of the groin;
- ex-INGUIN-al, occurring outside the
groin; - INGUINO-DYN-ia, pain in the groin
ILE- (ileum)
‘ileum’ (part of the small intestine)
- ILEUM, the third portion of the
small intestine, between the jejunum
and the caecum; - ILE-ac, pertaining to the ileum;
- ILEO-COL-ic, pertaining to the
ileum and the colon
NOTE: careful not to confuse this one with the
suffixes -il and -ile.
ILI- (ilium)
‘flank, hip’
- ILIO-CAUD-al, connecting the ilium
and the tail (applies to the muscle); - SACRO-ILI-ac, pertaining to the
ilium and sacrum
LAN- (lana)
‘wool’
- LAN-OL-in, a fatty substance found
naturally on sheep’s wool; - LAN-UGO, fine, soft hair, especially
that which covers the body and limbs
of a human fetus; - LAN-UG-inous, covered with down
LENS-, LENT- (lens, lentis)
‘lentil’, ‘lens’
- Lens
- LENS-oid, having the shape of a
lentil/lens - LENT-ic-el, one of many raised
pores in the stem of a woody plant
that allows gas exchange between
the atmosphere and the internal
tissues; lenticular, shaped like a
lentil, especially by being biconvex;
relating to the lens of the eye; - LENTI-GER-ous, furnished with a
lens
LOB- (lobus)
‘lobe’
- LOBO-tomy, a surgical operation
involving incision into the prefrontal
lobe of the brain, formerly used to
treat mental illness; - LOB-ule, a small lobe;
- LOB-ular, pertaining to a lobule
LUMB- (lumbus)
‘loin’
- LUMB-ar, relating to the lower part
of the back; - LUMB-ago, pain in the muscles and
joints of the lower back
LUTE- (luteus)
‘yellow’, ‘corpus luteum’
- CORPUS LUTEUM, the yellow
endocrine body formed in the ovary
at the site of a ruptured Graafian
follicle; - LUTE-al, pertaining to the corpus
luteum; - LUTE-in, a yellow chemical isolated
from egg yolk
MAL(E)- (malus)
‘bad’
- MALE-FACT-or; M
- ALE-VOL-ent;
- MAL-FEAS-ance;
- MALE-DICT-ion;
- MAL-IGN;
- MAL-IGN-ant;
- MAL-PRACT-ice;
- MAL-ING-er, to pretend to be ill in
order to escape duty or work; - MAL-OCCLUS-ion, imperfect
positioning of the teeth when the
jaws are closed
NOTE: not to be consumed with MALLE- ‘hammer’
below or MAL- ‘cheek’ of List 7.
MALLE- (malleus)
‘hammer’
- MALLEUS, one of the ossicles of
the inner ear having the shape of a
hammer; - MALLE-at-ion, a spasmodic action
of the hands, consisting of
continuously striking any nearby
object
NOTE: not to be consumed with MAL(E)- ‘bad’ or
MAL- ‘cheek’ of List 7.
NAR- (naris)
‘nostril’
- NARES, the nostrils;
- NARI-CORN, the horny part of the
nostrils in Turbinares; - NARI-form, shaped like nostrils
NOD- (nodus)
‘knot’
- NODE, the knob or joint of a stem at
which the leaves arise, or an
aggregation of specialized cardiac
cells, or any small rounded organ,
knob or protuberance
NUD- (nudus)
‘naked’
- NUDI-BRANCHI-ate, having gills
not covered by a protective shell or
membrane; - NUDI-CAUD-ate, having a tail not
covered by hair or fur
OLE- (oleum)
‘oil’
- OLE-in, a fat which is liquid at
ordinary temperatures, found in
animal and vegetable tissues; - OLEI-FER-ous, producing oil
ORB-, ORBIT- (orbita)
‘circle’, ‘cavity of the eye’
- ORB; ORB-it;
- ORB-icul-ate, nearly circular in
outline (applies to leaves); - ORBITO-MAL-ar, pertaining to
orbit and malar bones
PALPEBR- (palpebra)
‘eyelid’
- PALPEBRA, either of the two
movable folds that protect the
eyeball; - PALPEBR-ate, furnished with
eyelids, or to wink
PAPILL- (papilla)
‘nipple’
- PAPILLA, a small rounded
protuberance on a part or organ of
the body; - PAPILL-oma (pl. papillomas or
papillomata), a small wart-like
growth on the skin or on a mucous
membrane, derived from the
epidermis and usually benign
PAR- (par)
‘equal’
- PAR-ity, the state or condition of
being equal; - PARI-VINC-ular, applies to the
bivalve hinge ligament attached to
nymphae; - PARI-PINN-ate, pinnate without a
terminal leaflet; - dis-PAR-ate, not situated alike
PECTIN- (pecto → pectitus; pecten)
‘comb’
- PECTEN (pl. pectens or pectines),
any of a number of comb-like
structures occurring in animal
bodies; - PECTIN-ella, a comb-like
membranella of some infusoria
PEL(L)-, PULS- (pello → pulsus)
‘to push’, ‘to drive’, ‘to beat’
- re-PEL;
- ex-PULS-ion;
- PULS-at-ile, pulsating, throbbing;
- PULS-ellum, a flagellum situated at
the posterior end of the protozoan
body
NOTE: don’t confuse with PELL- ‘skin’ of List 8.
PILE- (pileus)
‘felt cap’
- PILEUS, (in botany) the cap of a
mushroom or toadstool; (in anatomy)
one of the cerebellar hemispheres;
the membrane which sometimes
covers a child’s head at birth; - PILE-ated, crested (e.g. pileated
woodpecker)
PINN-, PENN- (pinna; penna)
‘feather’, ‘wing’, ‘fin’
- pen;
- pinnacle;
- PINNA (in anatomy and zoology)
the external part of the ear in humans
and other mammals; the auricle; (in
botany) a primary division of a
pinnate leaf, especially of a fern; (in
zoology) any of a number of animal
structures resembling fins or wings; - BI-PENN-iform, feather-shaped,
with sides of a vein of equal size; - PINN-ule, a secondary division of a
pinnate leaf, especially of a fern; (in
zoology) a part or organ like a small
wing or fin, especially a side branch
on the arm of a crinoid
PLUR- (plus, plures)
‘more’, ‘many’
- PLUR-al-ity;
- PLURI-VOR-ous, living upon
several hosts, as fungus; - PLURI-LOC-ul-ar, having more than
one compartment or loculus
PULMO(N)- (pulmo, pulmonis)
‘lung’
- PULMON-ary or PULMON-ic,
relating to the lungs; - GASTO-PULMON-ary, pertaining
to the stomach and the lungs
RAD-, RAS-, RAZ- (rado → rasus)
‘to scrape’
- RAZE;
- RAZ-or;
- e-RAS-er;
- RAD-ula, (in a mollusc) a rasp-like
structure of tiny teeth used for
scraping food particles off a surface
and drawing them into the mouth; - RAST-er, a rectangular pattern of
parallel scanning lines followed by
the electron beam on a television
screen or computer monitor
SCAND- (-SCEND-), SCANS- (scando →
scansus)
‘to climb’
- a-SCEND;
- de-SCEND;
- SCANS-or-ius, the small, anterior
gluteal muscle; - SCANS-ores an order of birds
having two toes before and two
behind, such as parrots
SCOP- (scopa)
‘broom’, ‘brush’
- SCOP-ate, having a tuft of hair like a
brush; - SCOP-arius, a species of shrub
commonly called broom-tops
NOTE: don’t confuse with Greek root SCOP- ‘view’
of List 2
SOLV-, SOLUT- (solvo → solutus)
‘to loosen’, ‘to dissolve’
- SOLUTE, the dissolved substance in
a SOLUT-ion; - ab-SOL-ute, free from admixture
SPIC- (spica)
‘point’, ‘spike’
- SPIC-ule or SPIC-ula, a small, spikeshaped bone; a needle-like body;
- SPIC-ate, spiked;
- SPIC-ulum, the dart of a snail
STRI- (stria)
‘furrow’, ‘groove’
- STRIA, a streak or a line, a narrow,
band-like structure; - STRI-at-ure, striation, state of being
striated, or the arrangement of striae
TEMPOR- (tempus, tempora pl.)
‘the temples’
- TEMPOR-al, (in anatomy) of or
situated in the temples of the head; - infra-TEMPOR-al, below the
temporal fossa; - PARIETO-TEMPOR-al, pertaining
to the parietal and temporal bones or
lobes; - TEMPOR-al BONE, either of a pair
of bones which form part of the side
of the skull on each side and enclose
the middle and inner ear; - TEMPOR-al-is, a fan-shaped muscle
running from the side of the skull to
the back of the lower jaw involved in
closing the mouth and chewing
NOTE: this is not to be confused with the common
Latin Root TEMPOR- meaning time. They are
homonyms in Latin, but mean different things.
TEND-, TENS-, TENT- (tendo →
tentum/tensum)
‘to stretch’
- TENS-ion, the act of the stretching,
the state of being stretched or
strained; - dis-TENS-ion, a state of dilation;
- TENS-or, a muscle that serves to
make a part tense
NOTE: this one can look like some of the forms of
TEN- ‘hold’ of List 8
TENDIN- (tendo, tendonis)
‘tendon’
- TENDIN-it is
NOTE: the root is based on the medieval Latin word
above, taken from the Greek τένων.
UNC-, UNCIN- (uncus; uncinus)
‘hook’
- ad-UNC-ate, crooked; bent in the
form of a hook; - UNCI-form, shaped like a hook or
barb; - UNCI-FER-ous, bearing hooks or
hook-like processes; - UNCIN-ula, a genus of mildew with
hooked appendages
VAGIN- (vagina)
‘sheath’
- VAGINA, any sheath-like structure,
especially a sheath formed round a
stem by the base of a leaf; - Vagina, specifically the female
reproductive tract which leads from
the vulva to the uterus
NOTE: the modern use of vagina for the external
female reproductive organs is taken directly from
Latin. Originally, it was a metaphoric euphemism,
equating the female reproductive organs to a sheath
for a male penis, or “sword.” - e-VAGIN-ate, (with reference to a
tubular or pouch-shaped organ or
structure) to turn or be turned inside
out
VELL-, VULS- (vello, vulsus)
‘to tear’
- a-VULS-ion, the forcible tearing or
wrenching away of a part, as a polyp
or a limb; r - e-VULS-ion, the drawing, by
irritation, of blood from a distant part
of the body
NOTE: not to be confused with VEL- ‘veil’ of List 9.
VITELL- (vitellus)
‘yolk of an egg’
- VITELLUS, the yolk of an egg or
ovum; - VITELL-in, the chief protein
constituent of egg yolk; - VITELL-ine, relating to the yolk (or
yolk sac) of an egg or embryo, or to
yolk-producing organs; - VITELL-ine MEMBRANE, a
transparent membrane surrounding
and secreted by the fertilized ovum,
preventing the entry of further
spermatozoa; - VITELLO-GEN-in, a protein present
in the blood, from which the
substance of egg yolk is derived