Vocab 7 Flashcards
-ance, -ancy; -ence, -ency (-antia, -entia)
Noun-Forming Suffixes
‘quality of being’, ‘state of being’
- vigilance, hesitancy, eloquence,
innocence, fluency
-ary (-arium)
Noun-Forming Suffixes
‘place for’, ‘apparatus’
- mortuary, library, infirmary,
aquarium, sanitarium, herbarium
-ble, -bul- (-bula, -bulum)
Noun-Forming Suffixes
‘result of the act of’, ‘means of’, ‘place for’
- fable, fabulous, mandible,
mandibular, pabulum, infundibulum
-cle, -cul- (-culum)
Noun-Forming Suffixes
‘result of the act of’, ‘means of’
- spectacle, receptacle, obstacle,
tentacle, tentacular, curriculum,
vinculum, tentaculum
-crum, -cr- (-crum)
Noun-Forming Suffixes
‘result of the act of’, ‘means of’
- fulcrum, simulacrum, involucrum,
involucral
-ion (-io)
Noun-Forming Suffixes
‘act of’, ‘state of’, ‘result of the act of’
- action, commotion, incision
-itude (-itudo)
Noun-Forming Suffixes
‘quality of’, ‘state of’
- longitude, multitude, gratitude
-ity (-ety, -ty) (-itas)
Noun-Forming Suffixes
‘quality of’, ‘state of’
- gravity, dexterity, brevity
-men, -min- (-men)
Noun-Forming Suffixes
‘result of’, ‘means of’, ‘act of’
- specimen, regimen, acumen,
acuminate
-ment (-mentum)
Noun-Forming Suffixes
‘result of’, ‘means of’, ‘act of’
- ligament, ferment, excrement,
momentum
-or (-or)
Noun-Forming Suffixes
‘she or he who’, ‘that which’
- actor, motor, victor, incisor
NOTE: You may come across the suffix -trix, which
is the Latin feminine ending which corresponds to the
Latin masculine -or. So Director vs. Directrix.
Modern English has largely done away with the -trix
ending, using -or for all genders, but it still lingers.
-ory (-orium)
Noun-Forming Suffixes
‘place for’, ‘apparatus’
- dormitory, lavatory, auditorium,
sanatorium
-ure (-ura)
Noun-Forming Suffixes
‘act of’, ‘result of the act of’
- rupture, capture, fracture
-us (-us)
Noun-Forming Suffixes
‘act of’, ‘result of the act of’
- prospectus, consensus, impetus
-or (-our) (-or)
Noun-Forming Suffixes
‘state of’, ‘result of the act of’
- tumour, pallor, error
-trum, -tr- (-trum)
Noun-Forming Suffixes
‘result of the act of’, ‘means of’
- spectrum, rostrum, claustrum,
claustrophobia
-tude (-tudo)
Noun-Forming Suffixes
forms abstract nouns
- beatitude, solitude
-y (-ia)
Noun-Forming Suffixes
‘quality of’, ‘state of’, ‘act of’
- misery, modesty, perjury, neuralgia,
insomnia, asonia
ACIN- (acinus)
‘grapes in a cluster’
- ACIN-ar, pertaining to an acinus, a
small seed or kernel, as of a grape; - inter-ACIN-ar, among alveoli of a
racemose gland; - ACIN-iform, grape- or berry- shaped
(applied to a silk gland in a spider)
AL- (ala)
‘wing’,
- ALA, any winglike projection or
structure; - ex-AL-ate, not having winglike
appendages, apterous; - ALI-FER-ous, having wings;
- ALI-NOT-um, the dorsal plate of an
insect to which wings are attached
ANNUL- (annulus)
‘ring’
- ANNULUS, any ringlike structure;
- ANNUL-ose, possessing rings
APIC- (apex, apicis)
‘tip’, ‘summit’, ‘apex’
- sub-APIC-al, nearly at the apex;
- peri-APIC-al, around an apex;
- APIC-ul-ate, forming abruptly to a
small tip, as a leaf
AQU(A)- (aqua)
‘water’
- AQUA-tic,
- AQUE-DUCT;
- AQUI-FER, a water-bearing bed or
stratum of permeable rock, sand or
gravel; - AQUA REGIA, a mixture of nitric
and hydrochloric acids which
dissolves gold
ARGENT- (argentum)
‘silver’
- ARGENT-eous, like silver;
- ARGENTI-FER-ous, producing or
containing silver; - ARGENT-in-idae, family of small,
silvery marine fishes
AUD-, AUDIT- (audio
→ auditus)
‘to hear’
- AUDIT-orium;
- AUDIT-ion;
- AUDIO-meter, an instrument for
measuring the acuity and range of
hearing; - AUDIT-ive or AUDIT-ory,
pertaining to heard sounds or the
sense of hearing
BREV- (brevis)
‘short’
- BREV-ity;
- ab-BREVI-ate;
- BREVI-PED, having short legs;
- BREVI-FOLI-ate, having short
leaves; - BREVI-LINGU-al, with a short
tongue
BULL-, BULLI- (bulla)
‘bubble’, ‘blister’ ‘to boil’ (bollire)
- BULLA, a large bleb or blister
forming either within or beneath the
epidermis and filled with lymph; - VESI-oluo-BULL-ous, characterized
by both vesicles and bullae at the
same time
NOTE: Not to be confused with the similar Greek
root BUL- ‘will’ of List 1
CAD-, (-CID-), CAS- (cado
→ cecidi, casus)
‘to fall’, ‘to befall’
- CAD-ence;
- de-CAD-ent;
- de-CID-uous;
- in-CID-ence, the act or manner of
falling upon; the way in which one
body strikes another, as angle of
incidence
CAMER- (camera)
‘chamber’
- CAMERA; CAMER-ation, division
into a number of separate chambers; - UNI-CAMER-al, having only one
cavity or chamber
CAN- (canis)
‘dog’
- CAN-in-idae, family which includes
dogs, wolves and jackals; - CAN-in-iform, having the form of a
typical canine tooth
NOTE: Not to be confused with the homonymous
CAN- ‘white’ of List 10.
CAP- (-CIP-), CAPT- (-CEPT-) (capio
→ captus/ceptus)
‘to take’, ‘to seize’
- CAPT-ive;
- re-CEPT-ion;
- CON-CEPT-ion;
- EXTERO-CEPT-or, a receptor
which receives stimuli from outside
the body
CAPILL- (capillus)
‘hair’
- CAPELL-ini;
- CAPILL-ary;
- CAPILL-ar-ec-TAS-ia, dilatation of
the capillaries; - CAPILL-aceous, having hairlike
filaments
CAPIT- (-CIPIT-) (caput, capitis)
‘head’
- CAPIT-al; BI-CEPS;
- CAPIT-ulum or CAPIT-ellum,
knoblike swelling on the end of
bone; - CAPIT-ell-idae, family of worms
with small heads
COL- (colo)
‘to inhabit’
- FUNGI-COL-ous, living in or on
fungi; - LATEBRI-COL-ous, inhabiting
holes; - DESERTI-COL-ous, desert-
inhabiting; - RADICI-COL-ous, with the flower
seated immediately upon the crown
of a root, or dwelling in the root, as a
parasite
NOTE: not to be confused with the similar Greek
roots COL- ‘neck’ and COLL(A)- ‘glue’ of List 2
and 5 or the homonymous Latin roots COL- ‘below’.
COLL- (collum)
‘neck’
- COLL-ar bone, the clavicle;
- TORTI-COLL-ar, affected with wry-
neck or TORTI-COLL-is
CORI- (corium)
‘skin’
- CORIUM, the deep layer of the skin;
- CORI-aceous, leathery (applies to
leaves); - CORI-aria, a genus of poisonous
shrubs used in dyeing and tanning
CORON- (COROLL-) (corona)
‘crown’; ‘little crown’ (corolla), diminutive
form.
- COROLLA, the petals of a flower;
- COROLL-aceous, pertaining to a
corolla; - CORON-illa, genus of flowers
named for crown-shaped flowers
CORTIC-, CORT- (cortex, corticis)
‘bark’, ‘outer layer’
- CORTEX, outer or more superficial
part of an organ, the cerebral cortex; - infra-CORTIC-al, beneath the
cortex; - CORTICI-PET-al, conducting
toward the cortex
CREPIT- (crepito)
‘to creak’, ‘to crackle’
- de-CREPIT;
- de-CREPIT-at-ion, the breaking up
or crackling of certain crystals on
heating; - CREPIT-at-ion or CREPIT-at-io or
CREPITUS, the grating of fractured
bones, or the crackling of a joint
CRIST- (crista)
‘crest’
- CRISTA, a crest;
- CRISTA TERMIN-alis, crest on the
wall of the right atrium; inter- - CRIST-al, between the surmounting
ridges of a bone, organ or process
(used particularly in intercristal
diameter of pelvis, the distance
between two clear crests)
CRUC- (crux, crucis)
‘cross’
- CRUCI-FY; ex-CRUCI-at-ing;
- CRUCI-FER, a plant with four petals
and tetradynamous stamens, a
member of the family Cruciferae; - CRUCI-ate, cross-shaped
CUNE- (cuneus)
‘wedge’
- CUNE-iform;
- CUNE-ate, wedge-shaped;
- prae-CUNE-us, the medial surface of
the parietal or the quadrate lobe of
the cerebrum
DUR- (durus)
‘hard’, ‘dura mater’
- en-DURE;
- ob-DUR-ate;
- in-DUR-at-ion, the hardening of a
tissue or part; - epi-DUR-al, space between the dura
mater and the wall of the vertebral
canal; - DUR-amen, hard darker central
region of a tree stem, heart-wood
ENS- (ensis)
‘sword’
- ENS-iform, sword-shaped, as the
ensiform cartilage
EQU- (equus)
‘horse’
- EQU-estrian;
- EQU-it-at-ion;
- EQU-it-ant, overlapping saddle-wise,
as leaves in a leaf-bud; - EQU-idae, family of mammals
having a single extant genus, Equus,
which includes the horse, ass and
zebra
FALC- (falx, falcis)
‘sickle’
- FALX, sickle-shaped fold of dura
mater; - FALC-ate, sickle-shaped, hooked
FAEC- (FEC-) (faeces)
‘excrement’, ‘sediment’
- FAECA-LITH, concretion or
calcified mass of faecal material (=
COPRO-LITH); - FAEC-al-oid, resembling faeces;
- FAEC-ula, the faecal pellet of an
insect
FLA-, FLAT- (flare → flatus)
‘to blow’
- ex-suf-FLAT-ion, forced discharge
of breath; - FLAT-ul-ence, having gas in the
stomach and intestinal tract
FLOR- (flos, floris)
‘flower’
- FLOR-ist;
- FLOR-id;
- ef-FLOR-esc-ence, eruption of
exanthemous disease; - extra-FLOR-al, situated outside the
flower; - pre-FLOR-at-ion, the form and
arrangement of flowers in the bud
FORNIC- (fornix, fornicis)
‘arch’
- FORNIX, an arched body or surface,
such as the fornix cerebri; - FORNIC-al, like or pertaining to a
fornix
FUG- (fugo)
‘to flee’, ‘to put to flight’
- re-FUGE;
- FUGI-tive;
- NIDI-FUG-ous, leaving the nest
soon after hatching; - CEREBRI-FUG-al, applies to nerve
fibres which pass from the brain to
the spinal cord; - LACTI-FUGE, a drug or agent that
lessens the secretion of milk
GER-, GEST- (gero → gestum)
‘to carry’, ‘to bear’
- di-GEST, to convert food in
assimilable form; - in-GEST, to take substances into the
body; - OVI-GER, a leg modified for
carrying the eggs in some
pycnogonids (sea spiders)
NOTE: not to be confused with the Greek root GER-
‘old’ of List 1
GRAV- (gravis)
‘heavy’
- in-GRAV-esc-ent, increasing in
weight or severity; - GRAVI-GRADE, any of several
large, heavy-footed mammals, as
elephants; - PRIMI-GRAV-ida, a woman who is
pregnant for the first time
GUTT- (gutta)
‘drop’
- GUTT-er; GUTT-ate, having droplike markings;
- GUTT-at-ion formation of drops of
water on plants; - GUTT-iform, drop-shaped;
- GUTT-ul-ate, in the form of a small
drop, as markings
JAC- (iacio)
‘to lie’
- ad-JAC-ent, lying nearby, having a
common border; - sub-JAC-ent, lying beneath
LAB-, LAPS- (labo; lapso)
‘to slip’, ‘to fall’, ‘to glide’
- LAPSE;
- col-LAPSE;
- re-LAPSE;
- LAB-ile, unstable, readily changing,
moving from place to place; - LAB-il-ity, in psychiatry, very rapid
fluctuation in intensity and modality
of emotions
NOTE: careful not to confuse with similar LABI-
‘lip’ of List 9
LACRIM- (LACHRYM-) (lacrima)
‘tear’
- LACRIM-al, pertaining to tears or to
tear-secreting organs, the lacrimal
bone; - NASO-LACRIM-al, pertaining to
the nose and lacrimal apparatus
LACUN- (lacuna)
‘small pit’, ‘gap’
- LACUNA, a space between cells; a
sinus; a cavity in bone; a small
cavity or depression on the surface of
lichens; a leaf gap; - LACUN-oso-RUG-ose, having deep
furrows or pits, as some seeds and
fruits
LIMIN- (limen, liminis)
‘threshold’
- e-LIMIN-ate;
- LIMEN, threshold, minimum
stimulus or quantitative difference in
stimulus that is perceptible, or
boundary; - LIMEN NASI, boundary between
the osseous and cartilaginous
portions of the nasal cavity; - LIMIN-al, pertaining to a threshold,
applies to stimulus, sensations
LINE- (linea)
‘line’
- LINE-ar;
- de-LINE-ate;
- LINE-at-ion, an arrangement of
lines; - LINE-ol-ate, marked by fine lines or
striae
LUC- (lux, lucis)
‘light’, ‘to shine’
- LUC-id;
- e-LUC-id-ate;
- NOCTI-LUC-ent, phosphorescent,
luminescent; - LUCI-FUG-al, fleeing from or
avoiding light
MAL- (mala)
‘cheek’, ‘cheekbone’
- MAL-ar, pertaining to the cheek or
to the zygoma
NOTE: Don’t confuse with similae MAL(E)- ‘bad’
and MALLE ‘hammer’ of List 10
MATR-, MATERN- (mater; maternus)
‘mother’
- MATRO-CLIN-ous, derived from or
inherited from the maternal line; - MATR-ix, something within which
something else originates or takes
form or develops
MOLL- (mollis)
‘soft’
- MOLL-ities, softness;
- MOLL-SOL, surface layer of
permanently frozen ground in which
ice melts during the summer; - e-MOLL-ient, a substance used
externally to soften the skin
MONT- (mons, montis)
‘mountain’
- MONTI-COL-ous, inhabiting
mountainous regions; - MONT-iculus, largest part of the
superior vermis of the cerebellum; - MONT-icules, small eminences or
prominences
MORB- (morbus)
‘disease’
- MORB-id;
- MORB-ose;
- morbus anglicus, rickets;
- morbus divinus or morbus caducus,
epilepsy; - morbus hungaricus, typhus
MOV-, MOT- (moveo → motus)
‘to move’
- pro-MOTE;
- de-MOT-ion;
- OCULO-MOT-or, causing
movements of the eyeball (applies to
the third cranial nerve); - VENO-MOT-or, causing veins to
contract or dilate
MULT- (multus)
‘many’
- MULTI-CARIN-ate, having many
carinae or ridges; - MULTI-COST-ate, with many ribs,
ridges or veins; - MULTI-OCUL-ur, many-eyed
NAEV- (NEV-) (naevus)
‘birthmark’, ‘mole’
- NAEVUS, birthmark;
- NAEV-al, of or related to a naevus;
- NAEVO-XANTHO-endo-THELIoma, a group or group of yellowish
brown nodules sometimes found on
extremities in early childhood
NASC-, NAT- (nascor → natus)
‘to be born’
- NAT-ive,
- NAT-ure;
- NAT-ion;
- ad-NATE, congenitally attached or
united; - in-NATE, inherited, present from
birth; - ante-NAT-al, occurring or existing
before birth, prenatal
NID- (nidus)
‘nest’
- NID-at-ion, the renewal of uterine
lining between menstrual periods; - de-NID-at-ion, disintegration and
ejection of superficial part of uterine
mucus; - NID-ament-al, applies to glands
which secrete material for an eggcovering
OCUL- (OCELL-) (oculus)
‘eye’; ‘little eye’ = ocellus, Diminutive form
- MON-OC-le;
- OCELL-ate, like an eye or eyes,
applies to marking in many animals; - TRANS-OCUL-ar, extending across
the eye; - MON-OCULE, a one-eyed animal
PALAT- (palatum)
‘palate’, ‘roof of the mouth’
- PALAT-ine, pertaining to or in the
region of the palate (said of artery,
bone, foramen); - PALAT-itis, inflammation of the
palate; - PALAT-iform, resembling the palate
PARIET- (paries, parietis)
‘wall’
- PARIES, wall of a hollow structure;
- PARIET-al, pertaining to or forming
part of the wall of a structure (of
cells, membrane, etc.), also the
parietal bone in the roof of the skull; - UTERO-PARIET-al, pertaining to
the uterus and abdominal wall
PATI-, PASS- (patior → passus)
‘to suffer’, ‘to endure’
- PATI-ent;
- PASS-ion, an intense emotion; com-
- PAT-ibil-ity, congruity; the power of
a medicine or a substance in a
medicine to mix with another
without deleterious chemical change
or loss of therapeutic power; refers
also to blood types
PLAN- (planus)
‘flat’
- PLANE;
- de-PLAT-ate, levelled, flattened;
- PLAN-at-ion, a process of erosion
that produces flat surfaces; - PLAN-ula, very young, flat-bodied
larva or free-swimming coelenterates
NOTE: don’t confuse with Greek root PLAN-
‘wandering’ of List 4.
PLANT- (planta)
‘sole of the foot’, ‘sprout’
- PLANTA-, the sole of the foot, or
the first tarsal joint of insects; - PLANTI-GRADE, walking on the
full sole of the foot; - im-PLANT;
- trans-PLANT-at-ion
PONT- (pons, pontis)
‘bridge’
- PONT-oon;
- PONTI-FF;
- PONS, a process or bridge of tissue
connection two parts of an organ, or
a convex white eminence situated at
the base of the brain; - CEREBRO-PONT-ine, relating to
cerebrum and pons; - PONTO-BULB-ar, pertaining to the
pons and the medulla oblongata
PRUR-, PRURIT- (prurio → pruritus)
‘to itch’
- PRURITUS, itching;
- anti-PRURIT-ic, relieving or
preventing itching; - PRUR-igo, a chronic inflammatory
disease of the skin characterized by
itching
PULVER-, PULV- (pulvus, pulveris)
‘dust’
- PULVER-ize;
- PULVI-PLUME, a powder-down
feather; - PULVER-aceous, covered with a
layer of powdery granules
PULVIN- (PULVIL-) (pulvinus);
‘cushion’; ‘little cushion’ (pulvillus),
diminutive form.
- PULVINUS, a cellular swelling at
the junction of axis and leaf stalk; - PULVILLUS or PULVIN-ulus, pad,
process or membrane on the foot or
between the claws, the lobe between
each claw
RADIC- (radix, radicis)
‘root’
- RADIC-al;
- e-RADIC-ate;
- RADIC-ul-ose, having many
rootlets; - MONO-RADIC-ul-ar, having only
one root; - MYELO-RADIC-ul-itis,
inflammation of spinal cord and
roots of spinal nerves
RAM- (ramus)
‘branch’
- RAMI-fic-at-ion;
- RAM-ate,branched;
- BI-RAM-ose, divided into two
branches; - RAMI-FLOR-ous, having flowers on
branches
REG- (-RIG-), RECT- (regere → rectus)
‘to make straight’, ‘to rule’ (regere, v.);
‘straight’, ‘rectum’ (rectus, adj.)
- REG-ent;
- di-RECT;
- ar-RECT-or a muscle which erects;
para-RECT-al, beside or near the
rectum; - REG-imen, a systematic plan or
course to maintain or improve health
RET- (rete)
‘net’, ‘network’
- RETE, a network or net;
- RET-ina, the light-receptive layer
and terminal expansion of the optic
nerve in the eye; - RET-icle or RET-iculum, a delicate
network of cell protoplasm
ROSTR- (rostrum)
‘beak’
- ROSTRUM, beak or beaklike
process; - LONGI-ROSTR-al, with a long
beak; - ROST-ell-iform, shaped like a small
beak
RUMP-, RUPT- (rumpo → ruptus)
‘to break’, ‘to burst’
- ab-RUPT;
- inter-RUPT;
- ab-RUPT-ion;
- RUPT-ure, a forcible tearing of a
part, or a hernia; - RUPT-io, rupture of a vessel or
organ
SAX- (saxum)
‘rock’
- SAXI-CAV-ous, applies to rockborers (as some molluscs),
lithophagous; - SAXI-FRAGE, plant of the family
Saxifraga, perennial herbs frequently
found growing in rock crevices; - SAXI-COL-ous, inhabiting or
growing around rocks
SCIND-, SCISS- (scindo → scissus)
‘to cut’, ‘to split’
- re-SCIND;
- SCISS-ile, separating, easily split;
- ab-SCIND, to cut off;
- dis-SCISS-ion, state of being torn
apart
SCUT- (scutum)
‘shield’
- ESCUT-cheon;
- SCUTE, an external scale, as of
reptiles, fish or scaly insects; - SCUT-ate protected by large scales
or horny plates
SEN- (senex)
‘old’
- SEN-ior; SEN-ate;
- pre-SEN-il-ity, premature old age;
- SEN-OP-ia, the change of vision in
the aged in which persons formerly
myopic acquire what seems to be
normal vision because of presbyopia
SERR- (serra)
‘saw’, ‘saw-tooth’
- SIERRA;
- SERR-at-iform, like a saw;
- sub-SERR-ate, somewhat notched or
saw-toothed; - SERRI-CORN-ia, a genus of beetles
with saw-toothed antennae
STERCOR-, STERC- (stercus, stercoris)
‘excrement’
- STERCO-BIL-in, the brown pigment
of faeces; - STERC-oma, a fecalith, a hard faecal
mass, usually in the rectum; - STERC-ul-ia, a type of plant with a
fetid odour
SULC- (sulcus)
‘furrow’, ‘groove’
- SULC-ate, furrowed, grooved;
- BI-SULC-ate, having two grooves;
- SULCO-MARGIN-al, situated at the
margin of the spinal cord adjacent to
the ventral median fissure
TANG- (-TING-), TIG-, TACT- (tango →
tactus, -tingere)
‘to touch’
- con-TACT;
- con-TING-ent;
- TACT-ile, pertaining to the sense of
touch; - a-TACT-ia, loss of the tactile sense;
- MYO-TACT-il-ic, relating to the
muscular sense
TORQU-, TORT-, TORS- (torqueo →
torsi, tortus)
‘to twist’
- TORT;
- re-TORT;
- TORT-ure;
- dis-TORS-ion, the act of twisting;
- LATERO-TORS-ion, a twisting to
one side; con-TORTU-PLIC-ate,
applies to a bud with contorted and
plicate leaves
VERM- (vermis)
‘worm’
- VERMI-celli;
- VERM-icul-at-ion, wormlike or
peristaltic movement, or fine, wavy
markings; - VERMI-LINGU-al, having a wormshaped tongue;
- VERMI-PAR-ous, producing
wormlike young, as do blowflies
VESIC- (vesica)
‘bladder’, ‘blister’
- VESIC-le, a small bladder,
especially a small sac containing
fluid, a small bulla; - peri-VESICUL-itis, inflammation
around a seminal vesicle; - VESIC-at-ion, the formation of a
blister, or a blister itself.
