Vocab 8 Flashcards
1
Q
-cule, -cle (-culus, -cula, -culum)
Diminutive Suffixes
A
‘little’
- molecule, muscle, particle
NOTE: -cule can also form adjectives, like miniscule or majuscule
2
Q
-el (-ellus, -ella, -ellum)
Diminutive Suffixes
A
‘little’
- tunnel, scalpel, morsel, lamella, flagellum, capitellum, cerebellum
3
Q
-ette, -et
Diminutive Suffixes
A
‘little’ (of French origin, but attaching to Latin roots)
- statuette, cornet, lancet
4
Q
-il (-illus, -illa, -illum)
Diminutive Suffixes
A
‘little’
- codicil, pupil, fibril, fibrilla, Priscilla, armadillo
5
Q
-ule, -ole, -le (-ulus, -ula, -ulum; -olus, -ola, -olum; -leus, -lea, -leum)
Diminutive Suffixes
A
‘little’
- globule, granule, arteriole, circle, scruple, gladiolus, formula, cupola, capitulum
6
Q
-uncle (-unculus)
Diminutive Suffixes
A
‘little’
- carbuncle, avuncular, furnuncle, pedunculus, ranunculus
7
Q
AC(U)- (acus)
A
‘sharp’, ‘sour’, ‘needle’
- ACU-PUNCT-ure;
- ACU-ol-ate, beset with small
prickles; - ACUTI-COST-al, having projecting
ribs
8
Q
ADIP- (adeps, adipis)
A
‘fat’
- ADIP-os-ity, corpulence, obesity
9
Q
AMBUL- (ambulo)
A
‘to walk’
- AMBLE;
- AMBUL-ance;
- AMBUL-ant or AMBUL-at-ory,
walking or able to walk, designating
a patient not confined to bed but
requiring medical care; - SOMN-AMBUL-ism, sleepwalking
10
Q
ANS- (ansa)
A
‘jug handle’, ‘loop’
- ANSA, loop, as of certain nerves;
- ANSA CERVIC-alis, a nerve loop in
the neck
11
Q
ARE- (area)
A
‘space’
- ARE-ola, any minute interstice or
space in a tissue; or a pigmented ring
surrounding some central point or
space, as a nipple or a pustule, or the
part of the iris enclosing the pupil; - ARE-ol-et, a small areola
12
Q
AUR- (auris)
A
‘ear’
- end-AUR-al, pertaining to the inner
surface or part of the external
auditory canal; - AUR-icle, any ear-like, lobed
appendage, or the external ear, or the
atrium, or anterior chamber, of the
heart
13
Q
CALC- (calx, calcis)
A
‘limestone’, ‘pebble’, ‘calcium’
- CALC-ulus;
- CALCI-COLE, a plant that thrives in
soils rich in calcium salts; - CALCI-FIC-at-ion, the deposition of
lime salts in tissue; - CALC-ar-eous, containing calcium
carbonate (chalky)
NOTE: don’t confuse with the root CALCAR- ‘spur’
and CALC ‘heel’ of Lists 9 and 10.
14
Q
CALL- (callus)
A
‘hard skin’
- CALL-ous, pertaining to an are of
hardened and thickened skin, a
CALLUS; - CORPUS CALLOSUM, a structure
of white matter in the brain
15
Q
CAPS- (capsa)
A
‘box’
- CAPS-ule;
- en-CAPS-ul-at-ion, the process of
surrounding a part with a capsule; - de-CAPS-ul-at-ion, removal of a
capsule or enveloping membrane
16
Q
CAR(N)- (caro, carnis)
A
‘flesh’
- CARN-al;
- CARN-eous, flesh-coloured; in-
- CARN-at-ive, an agent which
produces flesh or promotes
granulation; - CARNI-VOR-ous
17
Q
CED-, CESS- (cedo → cessus)
A
‘to go’, ‘to yield’
- con-CEDE;
- intro-CESS-ion, a depression, as of a
surface; - pro-CESS, a prominence or
outgrowth; - suc-CED-an-eous, relating to or
acting a substitute; pertaining to that
which follows after, as a permanent
tooth replacing a deciduous tooth
18
Q
CRE-, CRESC-, CRET- (cresco → cretus)
A
‘to grow’
- in-CRE-ment;
- CRESC-ent;
- CRESC-endo;
- con-CRESC-ence, a growing
together of the roots of two teeth; - inter-CRESC-ence, a growing into
each other, as of tissue
19
Q
CUT- (cutis)
A
‘skin’
- intra-CUT-aneous, within the skin
substance (applied to the injection of
substances into the skin); - CUT-in, a substance allied to
cellulose found in external layers of
thickened epidermal cells
NOTE: not to be confused with the homonymous
CUT- ‘shake’ of List 9.
20
Q
DEXTR- (dexter, dextri)
A
‘right’ (direction), ‘right hand’
- DEXTRO-DUCT-ion, movement of
the visual axis toward the right
21
Q
DIGIT- (digitus)
A
‘finger’, ‘toe’
- DIGIT-ule, any small, fingerlike
process; - SEX-DIGIT-ate, with six fingers or
toes
22
Q
FA-, FAT- (fare → fatus)
A
‘to speak’
- af-FA-ble;
- in-ef-FA-ble;
- FA-ble;
- in-FA-nt, a child, usually up to two
years (in Latin, literally ‘not
speaking’ or ‘without speech’)
23
Q
FAC- (-FIC-), FACT- (-FECT-) (facio →
factus)
A
‘to do’, ‘to make’
- FACT-ory;
- FACT; FICT-ion;
- ef-FIC-acious, having the power to
bring about a desired effect; - FAC-ul-tat-ive, voluntary, optional;
having the power to do or not do a
thing
24
Q
FIBR- (fibra)
A
‘fibre’
- FIBR-il, a component filament of a
fibre, as of a muscle or a nerve; - FIBR-in, the fibrous, insoluble
protein in the network involved in
blood clotting
25
Q
FID-, FISS- (findo → fidi, fissus)
A
‘to split’
- FISS-ure;
- FISS-ion;
- FISS-ile, fissionable;
- FISSI-ROSTR-al, with deeply cleft
beak; - PENTA-FID, divided in five
divisions or lobes
26
Q
FLU-, FLUX- (fluo → fluxum)
A
‘to flow’
- in-FLU-ence;
- FLU-ency;
- af-FLUX, flow of blood or other
fluid to a part; - con-FLU-ent, running together, the
opposite of discrete; in anatomy,
coalesced or blended (applied to two
or bones originally separate)
27
Q
FLUVI- (fluvius)
A
‘river’
- Fluvial
- FLUVI-al-ist, someone who explains
geological and geographical
phenomenon by the action of
existing streams
28
Q
FOLL(I)- (follis)
A
‘bag’
- FOLLI-cle, a capsular fruit which
opens on one side only, or a cavity or
sheath (as an ovarian or hair follicle),
or a small secretory cavity or sac (as
an acinus or alveolus); - peri-FOLLI-cul-ar, surrounding a
follicle
NOTE: not to be confused with the similar FOLI-
‘leaf’ of List 6.
29
Q
FORMIC- (formica)
A
‘ant’
- FORMIC acid, a colourless acid
occurring in ants and some plants; - FORMIC-IDE, a substance used for
destroying ants; - FORMIC-at-ion, an abnormal
sensation of insects crawling on the
skin
30
Q
FOSS- (fossa)
A
‘ditch’, ‘trench’, ‘to dig’
- FOSSA, a pit or trench-like
depression; - FOSS-ette, a small pit or a socket
containing the base of the antennule
in arthropods; - FOSS-ori-al, adapted for digging
(applies to the claws and feet of
animals)
31
Q
FUN- (funis)
A
‘rope’, ‘cord’
- FUN-ic, relating to or originating in
the umbilical cord; - FUNI-PENDUL-ous, suspended by a
rope or cord
32
Q
GUST- (gusto)
A
‘to taste’
- dis-GUST;
- GUST-at-ion, the sense of taste, the
act of tasting; - de-GUST-at-ion, the act of tasting;
- GUSTO-meter, an apparatus used to
determine taste thresholds
33
Q
HAUST- (haurio → haustum)
A
‘to draw out’, ‘to drink’
- ex-HAUST-ion;
- HAUST-ellum, a proboscis adapted
for sucking; - HAUST-orium, an organ of certain
parasitic protozoa by which they
attach themselves to the host
34
Q
INSUL- (insula)
A
‘island’
- INSUL-ate;
- PEN-INSULA; INSULA, that
portion of the cortex overlying the
corpus striatum - INSUL-oma, a tumour arising from
the cells of the islets of the pancreas; - INSUL-in, the antidiabetic hormone
arising from the islets of Langerhans
35
Q
JUNCT-, JUG- (iungo → iunctus; jugum)
A
‘to join’; ‘yoke’
- JUNCT-ion;
- sub-JUG-ate;
- con-JUG-at-ion, the temporary union
or complete fusion of two gametes or
unicellular organisms, or the pairing
of chromosomes; - dis-JUNCT-ion divergence of paired
chromosomes at anaphase
36
Q
LEV- (laevus)
A
‘left’ (direction), ‘left hand’
- LEVO-DUCT-ion, movement to the
left, especially of the eye; - LEVO-GYR-ate or LEVO-ROT-ary,
rotating the plane of polarized light
to the left
NOTE: don’t confuse with homonymous LEV-
‘light’ of List 9.
37
Q
LOC- (locus)
A
‘place’
- LOC-al; al-LOC-ate;
- LOCO-MOT-ion;
- LOC-ellus, a small compartment of
an ovary; - BI-LOC-ul-ar, containing two
cavities or chambers
38
Q
LUN(A)- (luna)
A
‘moon’
- LUN-ate, crescent-shaped;
- SEMI-LUN-ar, half-moon-shaped;
- LUN-ette, the transparent lower
eyelid of snakes
39
Q
MACUL- (macula)
A
‘spot’, ‘stain’, ‘blot’
- im-MACUL-ate;
- MACULA, a spot or patch of colour,
or a small pit or depression; - MACULA LUTEA, the yellow spot
on the retina, the point of clearest
vision; - MACUL-at-ion, the arrangement of
spots on a plant or animal
TIP: the Latin macula became the modern Italian
macchia. English speakers encounter it most when
ordering a macchiato coffee, so-called because it
looks “blotted”
40
Q
MAGN- (magnus)
A
‘large’, ‘great’
- MAGN-ate;
- MAGN-ANIM-ous;
- MAGNI-LOQU-ent;
- MAGNI-fy, cause to appear larger;
- MAGN-itude, spacial quality or size
41
Q
MAMM- (mamma)
A
‘breast’
- MAMM-al;
- MAMM-il-itis, inflammation of the
- MAM-illa, or nipple
42
Q
MENT- (mens, mentis)
A
‘mind’
- MENT-at-ion, the mechanism of
thought, mental activity; - de-MENT-ia, deterioration or loss of
the intellectual faculties, the
reasoning power, etc.
NOTE: not to be confused with the homonymous
MENT- ‘chin’ of List 6.
43
Q
MORT- (mors, mortis)
A
‘death’
- MORT-al, liable to death or causing
death; - MORT-al-ity, the quality of being
mortal or the death rate; - NATI-MORT-al-ity, the proportion
of stillbirths to the general birth rate
44
Q
NERV- (nervus)
A
‘nerve’, ‘vein of insect wing or leaf’
- TRI-NERV-ate, having three veins
or ribs running from the bast to the
margin of a leaf; - ab-NERV-al, away from a nerve (of
the direction of an electric current
passing through muscle fibres away
from the point of entrance of a
nerve)
45
Q
NOC-, NOX- (noxa. cf. nocere “to harm”)
A
‘harm’
- in-NOC-ent;
- NOCI-FENS-or, efferent fibres
which release chemical substances at
their terminals, thus stimulating pain
endings; - NOCI-per-CEPT-ion, perception of
pain by the central nervous system
46
Q
NOCT- (nox, noctis)
A
‘night’
- NOCTI-phobia, morbid fear of night;
- per-NOCT-at-ion, staying up all
night; - NOCT-VAG-ant, going about in the
night, night-wandering
47
Q
OST- (ostium)
A
‘door’, ‘opening’
- OSTIUM, any mouthlike opening,
such as the opening of the fallopian
tubes; - OSTI-ole, the opening of a
conceptacle, perithecium, stoma, or
another sac, or the inhalant aperture
of a sponge
NOTE: don’t confuse with Greek root OST- ‘bone’
of List 1.
48
Q
PAR-, PART- (pario → partum)
A
‘to give birth to’, ‘to produce’
- MULTI-PAR-ous, bearing more than
one offspring at a time; - BI-PAR-ous, having two young at a
time; - RAMI-PAR-ous, producing
branches, - OCTI-PARA, a woman who has
been in labour eight times
49
Q
PART- (pars, partis)
A
‘part’, ‘to divide’
- PARTI-CIP-ate;
- PART-ic-ul-ar;
- BI-PART-ite, having two parts;
- DIGITI-PART-ite, having leaves
divided in a hand-like pattern
50
Q
PAT- (patior)
A
‘to spread or lie open’
- PAT-ent, open, exposed;
- pre-PAT-ent period, the period in
parasitic disease between the
introduction of the organism and its
demonstration in the body
51
Q
PECTOR- (pectus, pectoris)
A
‘breast’, ‘breastbone’
- PECTOR-al, pertaining to the chest,
in the chest region; - MEDIO-PECTOR-al, applies to the
middle part of the sternum; - ex-PECTOR-at-ion, ejection of
material from the mouth
52
Q
PED- (pes, pedis)
A
‘foot’
- PED-al;
- im-PEDE;
- ex-PED-ient;
- PEDI-cel, any slender stalk,
especially one that supports a
fruiting or spore-bearing organ; - SCUTI-PED, having the foot or part
of the foot covered by scutella
53
Q
PELL- (pellis)
A
‘skin’
- PELL-icle, a thin skin or film, such
as a film on the surface of a liquid
NOTE: don’t confuse with PEL(L)- ‘push’ of List 10.
54
Q
PEND-, PENS- (pendo → pensus)
A
‘to hang’, ‘to weigh’, ‘to pay’
- de-PEND;
- im-PEND;
- ex-PENS-ive;
- com-PENS-at-ion, a psychic
phenomenon in which strong of guilt
or inferiority prompt excessive
defensive reactions
55
Q
PET-, PETIT- (peto → petitus)
A
‘to seek’
- PET-it-ion;
- com-PET-it-ion;
- PET-ul-ant;
- RECTI-PET-al-ity, the tendency to
rectilinear growth; - ACRO-PET-al, ascending (applies to
leaves, flowers or roots developing
successively from an axis so that the
youngest arise at the apex)
56
Q
PIL- (pilus)
A
‘hair’
- PIL-ose, hairy, downy;
- PILI-FER-ous, bearing or producing
hair; - PILI-MIC-at-ion, the passing of
urine containing hairlike filaments
57
Q
PISC- (piscis)
A
‘fish’
- PISC-ine, of, relating to, having the
characteristics of fish; - PISCI-VOR-ous, fish-eating
58
Q
PLUM- (pluma)
A
‘feather’
- PLUMI-GER-ous, feathered;
- PULVI-PLUME, a powder-down
feather
59
Q
PRED- (praeda)
A
‘prey’
- PRED-at-ism, the habit or practice of
living by predation; - PRED-acious, preying on other
animals; - PRED-ac-ity, quality or state of
being predacious
60
Q
PRESS- (premo → pressus)
A
‘to press’
- de-PRESS-ion,
- im-PRESS-ion,
- re-PRESS,
- op-PRESS-ion;
- de-PRESSO-MOT-or, any nerve
which lowers muscular activity
61
Q
PROPRI- (proprius)
A
‘one’s own’
- ap-PROPRI-ate;
- ex-PROPRI-ate;
- im-PROPRI-ety;
- PROPRIO-SPIN-al, pertaining
wholly to the spinal cord (applies to
fibres)
62
Q
RACEM- (racemus)
A
‘cluster of grapes or berries’
- RACEM-ose, arranged in a cluster,
or bearing flowers in clusters; - RACEM-ic acid, named from its
being found in the juice of grapes
63
Q
RIM- (rima)
A
‘crack’, ‘chink’
- RIM-ate, having fissures;
- RIM-iform, in the shape of a narrow
fissure; - BI-RIM-ose, having two clefts or
slits
64
Q
ROD-, ROS- (rodo → rosum)
A
‘to gnaw’
- ROD-ent;
- cor-ROS-ive, a substance which
destroys organic tissue by chemical
means or by inflammation; - e-ROS-ion, an eating, gnawing or
wearing away
65
Q
ROT- (rota)
A
‘wheel’
- ROT-ate, shaped like a wheel,
rotiform; - ROT-ul-iform, shaped like a small
wheel; - MUTA-ROT-at-ion, a change in
optical rotation of solutions of
certain sugars
66
Q
SALI- (-SILI-), SALT- (-SULT-) (salio;
saltus)
A
‘to leap’, ‘to jump’
- ex-ULT;
- re-SULT;
- con-SULT;
- in-SULT, trauma or other stress to
tissues or organs; - SALTI-GRADE, moving by leaps as
some insects
67
Q
SEB- (sebum)
A
‘grease’, ‘tallow’
- SEBUM, the oily secretion of the
SEB-aceous glands which lubricates
and protects the hair and skin; - SEBO-RRHEA, a disease of the
sebaceous glands, characterized by
an excessive secretion or disturbed
quality of sebum
68
Q
SEC-, SEG-, SECT- (seco → sectus)
A
‘to cut’
- in-SECT;
- re-SECT-ion, the operation of
cutting out as the removal of a
segment or section of an organ; - SECT-or-ial, formed or adapted for
cutting, as certain teeth
69
Q
SED- (-SID-), SESS- (sedo; sessus)
A
‘to sit’, ‘to settle’
- re-SIDE;
- pre-SID-ent;
- SESS-ion;
- in-SESS-or-ial, adapted for perching;
- re-SID-ual, pertaining to that which
cannot be evacuated or discharged
(as residual air in the lungs, residual
urine in the bladder)
70
Q
SENS-, SENT- (sentio → sensum)
A
‘to feel’, ‘to perceive’
- SENT-ence;
- con-SENT;
- as-SENT;
- dis-SENT;
- SENS-ile, capable of affecting a
sense; - SENTI-ent, of cells that are sensitive
and perceptive; - SENS-illa, a small sense organ
71
Q
SET- (seta)
A
‘bristle’
- SETA, any bristle-like structure, as
the sporophore of liverworts and
mosses; - SETI-GER, a segment or process
bearing bristles
72
Q
SOL- (sol, solis)
A
‘sun’
- SOL-arium;
- in-SOL-at-ion, exposure to the sun’s
rays; - SOL-ASTER-idae, a family of
starfishes, typically brightly coloured
and having numerous arms
73
Q
SOMN- (somnus)
A
‘sleep’
- SOMNI-FACI-ent, a medicine
producing sleep, a hypnotic; - SOMNI-FUG-ous, driving away
sleep; - hyper-SOMN-ia, excessive
sleepiness
74
Q
SORB-, SORPT- (sorbeo)
A
‘to suck in’
- ab-SORPT-ion, in physiology, the
taking up of fluids or gases through
osmosis and capillarity, or
infiltration into the skin, or
incorporation into the body through
blood and lymph
75
Q
SQUAM- (squama)
A
‘scale’
- SQUAMI-FER-ous, bearing scales;
- e-SQUAM-ate, having no scales;
- SQUAM-ul-ate, having minute
scales
76
Q
STRING-, STRICT- (stringo → strictus)
A
‘to draw tight’
- STRICT, stiffly upright, rigid, erect;
- a-STRING-ent, an agent that
produces contraction of organic
tissues or arrests haemorrhage,
diarrhea, etc.
77
Q
TEN- (-TIN-), TENT- (teneo → tentus)
A
‘to hold’
- TEN-ant;
- con-TIN-uous;
- de-TENT-ion;
- in-con-TIN-ent, not having the
ability to control the natural
evacuations, as the faeces or urine; - sus-TIN-acul-ar, supporting (applies
to connective tissue acting as a
supporting framework for an organ
NOTE: this one can look like some of the forms of
TEND- ‘stretch’ of List 10.
78
Q
TER(R)- (terra)
A
‘earth’
- TERR-aneous, applies to land
vegetation; - TERRI-COL-ous, living in the earth
NOTE: not to be confused with TER- ‘3’ of List 10.
79
Q
TRACT- (traho → tractus)
A
‘to draw’, ‘to drag’
- TRACT-or;
- at-TRACT-ive;
- dis-TRACT-ile, widely separate
(usually applies to long-stalked
anthers); - CEPHALO-TRACT-or, obstetric
forceps
80
Q
TUBER- (tuber)
A
‘swelling’
- TUBER, a thickened, fleshy
underground stem with surface buds; - TUBER-iform, resembling or shaped
like a tuber; - TUBER-in, a simple protein of the
globular type which occurs in
potatoes
81
Q
UTER- (uterus)
A
‘womb’
- UTER-ismus, uterine contraction of
a spasmodic and painful character; - UTERO-GEST-at-ion, the part of the
gestation period passed in the uterus; - UTRI-cle or UTRI-culus, an air
bladder of aquatic plants, or the
membranous sac of the ear labyrinth
82
Q
VACU- (vacuus)
A
‘empty’
- VACUUM;
- VACU-ole, one of the spaces in cell
protoplasm containing air, sap or
partially digested food; - VACU-ol-is-at-ion, the formation of
vacuoles
83
Q
VAS- (vas)
A
‘vessel’
- VASE;
- VAS-cul-ar, consisting of or
containing vessels adapted for
transmission or circulation of fluid; - CARDIO-VAS-cul-ar, pertaining to
the heart and blood vessels; - VASO-di-LAT-ion, relaxing or
enlarging the vessels
84
Q
VEH-, VECT- (veho → vectus)
A
‘to carry’
- ad-VEH-ent, afferent, carrying to an
organ; - con-VECT-ion, a transmission or
carrying, as of heat; - VECT-or
85
Q
VIT- (vita)
A
‘life’
- VIT-al, pertaining to or necessary for
life; - AQUA VITAE, spirit or eau-de-vie
86
Q
VIV- (vivus)
A
‘living’
- sur-VIVE; VIV-id;
- VIV-acious;
- VIVI-dif-FUS-ion, passage of
diffusible substances from the blood
of a living animal; - VIV-PAR-ous, bringing forth the
young alive
87
Q
VOR- (voro)
A
‘to eat’
- VOR-acious;
- HERBI-VOR-ous, living on
vegetable food; - FUNGI-VOR-ous, fungus-eating
animals and plants; - in-SECTI-VOR-ous, living on
insects
