Prefixes

Derived From

Meaning

Example

a-, ab-

Latin

off, from, down, away

abduct, avert

a-, an-

Greek  

not, without, less

abiotic, anaerobic

actin-

Greek aktis

a ray, beam, spoke

actin, actinomycete

ad-

Latin

to, attached to

adsorption

aer-

Greek

air

aerobic

amphi-

Greek

both, about, around

amphibian

ana-

Latin

away, through, again

analysis

andro-

Greek

man, male

androgens

angio-

Greek

a vessel, closed container

angiospermae

anthropo-

Greek

referring to man

anthropology

ant-, anti-

Greek

against, away, opposite

antibiosis

ante-

Latin

before

anteroom

ap-, aph-, apo-

Latin

from, off, separate

apogee

aqua-

Latin

water

aquatic

arche-, archeo-

Greek

ancient, primitive

archeology

arthri-, arthro-

Greek arthron

joint, jointed

arthritis, arthrospore

asco-

Greek askos

bag, sack, bladder

ascospore

aureo-

Latin aureus

gold coloured

aureomycin

auto-

Greek autos

self

autoimmune

Prefixes

Derived From

Meaning

Example

bi-

Latin

two, twice, double

bipolar, binocular

bio-, bios-

Greek

related to life

biology, biocidal

blasto-

Greek blastos

an embryonic layer or cell

blastomere

brachy-

Greek

short

brachycephalic

brad-, brady-

Greek

slow, slowness

bradycardia

bry-, bryo-

Greek bryon

moss, mossy

bryophyte

calic-, calix-

Latin

cup-like

calyx

cani-, canis-

Latin

dog

canine

cardia-

Greek kardia

heart

cardiac

carn-

Latin carnis

flesh

carnivore

carp-

Latin carpalis

wrist, bones

carpel

cata-

Greek

decomposition, degradation

catabolism

cell-

Latin cella

small room

cellular

cephal-

Latin

head

cephalic

chloro-

Greek chloros

green, containing chloride

chlorophyll

chroma-, chromo-

Greek

coloured

chromosome

chron-, chrono

Greek chronos

time

chronometer

circum-

Latin

around, near, about

circumnavigate

coel-

Greek koilos

hollow cavity, belly

coelom

col-, com-, con-

Latin

with, together

combine, collide

contra-

Latin

against

contradict

crypto-

Greek kryptos

hidden

cryptogamic

cyano-

Greek kyanos

dark blue, blue-green

cyanobacteria

cyst-

Greek kystis

bladder

cystitis, cystidium

cyt-,cyte-,cyto-

Greek kytos

cell, a hollow vessel

cytology

de-

Latin

undoing, removal of, from

dehydration

den-, dent-

Latin dens

tooth

dentition

dendro-

Greek

tree

dendrochronology

derm-, derma-

Greek

skin, hide

dermatitis

deut-, deutero-

Greek

second, secondary

deuterium

di-

Greek

double, twice, two

disaccharide

dia-

Greek

through, across

diameter

diplo-

Greek

twofold, double

diploid

dis-

Latin

apart, away

dissolve

dorm-

Latin

to sleep

dormant, dormitory

drom-, drome-

Greek

a running, racing

dromedary

Prefixes

Derived From

Meaning

Example

e-, ec-

Latin

out, out of

efferent

eco-

Greek oikos

house, environment

ecology

ecto-

Greek ektos

outside

ectoderm

en-, endo-

Greek endon

within, internal

endoskeleton

entero-

Greek enteron

intestine

enterocolitis

entomo-

Greek entoma

insect

entomology

eo-, eos-

Greek

the dawn

Eocene, Eohippus

epi-

Greek

upon, above, top

epidermis

erythro-

Greek

red

erythrocyte

eu-

Greek

proper, true, good

Eukaryotic, eufungi

ex-

Latin

out, from

excise

exo-

Greek

outer, external

exoskeleton

extra-

Latin exter        

outside of, beyond

extracellular

flagell-

Latin flagrum

whip, whip-like

flagellum

fuc-, fuco-

Greek phyktos

seaweed, algae, lichen

fucoxanthin

gamo-

Greek gamos

sexual union

gamogenesis

gastero-,gastro-

Greek gaster

stomach, belly

gastroenteritis

geno-

Latin gene

origin, development

genotype

ge-, geo-

Greek

earth

geology

glu-, glyco-

Greek

sweet, sugar

glucose, glycogen

gon-,goni-,gono-

Greek

reproductive, sexual

gonorrhea

gymn-, gymno-

Greek gymnos

naked, bare

gymnosperm

gyn-,gyne-,gyno-

Greek

woman, female

gynecology

halo-

Greek hals

salt

halophile

haplo-

Greek haploos

single

haploid

heme-, hemo-

Greek haimo

blood

haematologist

hemi-

Greek

half

hemisphere

hepta-

Greek

seven

heptane

herb-

Latin herba

pertaining to plants

herbicide

hetero-

Greek

different, other, unlike

heterozygous

hex-, hexa-

Greek

six

hexagonal

hipp-, hippo-

Greek hippos

horse

hippodrome

histo-

Greek histos

tissue

histology

holo-

Greek holos

whole, entire

holoblastic

homeo, homo-

Greek

same, similar, like

homogeneous

hyal-, hyalo-

Greek hyalos

glassy, transparent

hyaloid

hydr-, hydro-

Greek

pertaining to water

hydrolysis

hyper-

Greek

above, more, over

hyperactive

hypo-

Greek

below, less, under

hypodermic

Prefixes

Derived From

Meaning

Example

ichthy-,ichthyo-

Greek

referring to fish

ichthyology

inter-

Latin

between

intercellular

intra-

Latin

within, inside

intracellular

intro-

Latin

inward, within

introvert

iso-

Greek

equal, same

isotonic

kine-

Greek

movement, moving

kinetics

leuc-, leuk-

Greek

white

leucocyte

lycan-

Greek lykos

wolf

lycanthropy

macro-

Greek

large, big, long

macromolecule

man-, manu-

Latin

hand

manual

mastig-

Greek mastigos

whip

mastigophora

meg-, mega-

Greek

great, large

megabyte

melan-,melano-

Greek

black, dark

melanin

mero-

Greek merus

part, piece

meroblast

mes-, meso-

Greek mesos

middle, in between

mesoderm

met-, meta-

Greek

later, following, changed in position or form

metamorphosis

micro-

Greek mikros

small

microbiology

milli-

Latin

a thousandth part

millimetre

mio-

Greek meion

less, smaller

Miocene

mito-

Greek mitos

thread

mitosis

mon-, mono-

Greek

one, single

monocular

morph-

Greek

shape, form

morphology

mor-, mort-

Latin

die, death

mortality

muc-, muco-

Latin

consisting of many units

multicellular

mus-

Latin

mouse, as one running

muscle

myco-, mykos-

Greek

fungus, mushroom

mycology

myo-

Greek mys

muscle

myoglobin

myxo-

Greek

slime, mucus

myxomycetes

nemato-

Greek

thread, threadlike

nematode

ob-

Latin

against

obtuse

octa-

Greek

eight

octopus

olig-, oligo-

Greek

few, small, less

oligarchy

omni-

Latin

all, everywhere

omnipotent

oo-

Greek

pertaining to an egg

oocyte

ophthalmo-

Greek

referring to the eye

ophthalmologist

opisth-,opistho-

Greek

behind, backwards, back

Opisthobranchia

orni-, ornitho-

Greek

bird

ornithology

orth-, ortho-

Greek

straight

orthodontist

osteo-

Greek

bone

osteocyte

oto-

Greek

referring to the ear

otology

ova-,ovi-,ovul-

Latin

egg

ovary, oviduct

Prefixes

Derived From

Meaning

Example

paleo-

Greek

old, ancient

paleontology

para-

Greek

beside, near, beyond

parasitism

path-, patho-

Greek

disease, suffer

pathogenic

ped-, pedi-

Latin

foot

pedicure

penna-, pinna-

Latin

feather, feathery

pinnate

pent-, penta-

Greek

five

pentagon

per-

Latin

through

pervade, peruse

peri-

Greek

around, surrounding

perimeter

pher-

Greek

bearing, carrying, support

pheromone

phil- philo-

Greek

loving, attracted to

philanthropy

phob-

Greek

fear, fearing

phobic

photo-

Greek

pertaining to light

photosynthesis

phyco-

Greek

seaweed, algae

phycology

phylo-

Greek

tribe, race, related group

phylogeny

phyto-

Greek

pertaining to plants

phytohormone

plasm-, plasma-

Greek

formative substance

plasmablasts

plati-, platy-

Greek

flat

platypus

pleio- pleo-

Greek

more, many

pleiomorphic

pod-,poda-,podi-

Greek

foot

podiatrist

poly-

Greek

many

polyhedron

post-

Latin

after

postnatal

pre-

Latin

before

prenatal

preter-

Latin

beyond

preterhuman

prim-

Latin

first

primary

pro-

Greek

before, on behalf of

proboscis

pro-

Latin

forward

progressive

proto-

Greek

first, primary

protozoa

pseudo-

Greek

false

pseudopod

psilo-

Greek

bare, mere

psilopsida

pteri-, ptero-

Greek

fern, feather

pteridophyte

quadr-, quadri-

Latin

four

quadruped

radi-

Latin

ray, spoke of wheel

radial

re-

Latin

back, again

repeat

retro-

Latin

backward

retroactive

rhiz-, rhizo-

Greek

pertaining to roots

rhizoids

rhod-, rhodo-

Greek

a rose, red

rhodopsin

rota-

Latin

wheel

rotate

Prefixes

Derived From

Meaning

Example

sapr-, sapro-

Greek

rotten, putrid, dead

saprobe

sarc-, sarco-

Greek

flesh, fleshy

sarcoma

schiz-, schizo-

Greek

split, splitting

schizophrenia

se-

Latin

apart

secede

semi-

Latin

half

semicircle

soma-, somato-

Greek

body

somatic

sperma-,spermato-

Greek

seed

spermatozoa

sporo-

Greek

spore

sporophyte

staphylo-

Greek

bunch of grapes

staphylococcus

stoma-

Greek

mouth

stomata

strepto-

Greek

twisted, string of

streptococcus

sub-

Latin

below, under, smaller

subapical

supra-, super-

Latin

above, over

supernova

sym-, syn-

Greek

together, with

synthesis

taxi-, taxo-

Greek

to make order, arrangement

taxonomy

tel-,tele-,telo-

Greek

distant, end

telophase

terra-, terre-

Latin

land, earth

terrestrial

tetra-

Greek

four

tetrapod

therm-, thermo-

Greek

heat

thermometer

thigmo-

Greek

touch

thigmotropism

trans-

Latin

across, through, over

transfer

tri-

Latin

three

triangle

tricho-

Greek

hair

trichogyne

triplo-

Latin

triple

triploid

troche-, trocho-

Greek

wheel, hoop

trochophore

tropho-

Greek

nourishment

trophoblast

ultra-

Latin

beyond, exceedingly

ultraconservative

uni-

Latin

consisting of one

unicellular

vice-

Latin

in place of

vice-president

vid-, vis-

Latin

see

vision

xen-, xeno-

Greek

dry, desert

xerophyte

zoo-

Greek

animal, life

zoology

zyg-, zygo-

Greek

to join together

zygote

Suffixes

Derived From

Meaning

Example

-biosis

Greek

mode of living, way of life

symbiosis

-blast

Greek

formative, embryonic

mesoblast

-chaeta-, -chete

Greek

a bristle

Polychaeta

-chrome

Greek

colour

cytochrome

-cidal, -cide

Latin

killer, a killing

fungicide

-cocci, -coccus

Greek

round, seed, kernel

Streptococcus

-cyst

Greek

pouch, sac

trichocyst

-dactyl

Greek

finger

pentadactyl

-derm, -dermis

Greek

skin, layer

epidermis

-elle, -ule, -la, -le, -let, -ole

Latin

small, diminutive endings

globule, piglet

-emia

Greek

blood disease

anemia

-fer

Latin

bearer, producer, carry

conifer, transfer

-gamous, -gamy

Greek

marriage, sexual fusion

polygamy

-gen, -geny

Greek

origin, production

progeny, hydrogen

-genesis

Latin

origin, development of

embryogenesis

-gony

Latin

something produced

cosmogeny

-graph

Greek

drawing, writing

chromatograph

-hedral, -hedron

Greek

side

polyhedral

-hydrate

Greek

compound of water with another substance

carbohydrate

-ism

Greek

act, practice or result of

terrorism

-ite

Latin

a division or part

somite

-itis

Greek

inflammation or infection

appendicitis

-jugal, -jugate

Latin

to yoke, join together

conjugate

-logy

Greek logos

science or study of

biology

-lysis, -lytic

Greek

loosening, separation, splitting into smaller units

photolysis

-mer, -merous

Greek meros

a part, piece

polymer

-meter

Greek metron

a measurement

diameter

-morph

Greek

form

endomorph

-mycin

Greek

derived from a fungus

aureomycin

-nomy

Greek

systematized knowledge of

astronomy

-oma

Greek

tumorous

carcinoma

-osis, -otic

Greek

abnormal condition, disease

neurosis

-phage

Greek

eater

bacteriophage

-phase

Greek

a stage or condition

metaphase

-phor, -phore

Greek

bearing, carrying, supporting

sporangiophore

-phyll

Greek

leaf

chorophyll

-phyta, -phyte

Greek

plant

epiphyte

-plasm

Greek

formative substance

cytoplasm

-plast

Greek

organized particle, granule

choroplast

-pod, -poda

Greek

foot

arthropod

-some

Greek

body

chromosome

-stasis

Greek

a stationary position

homeostasis

-stat, -static

Greek

stationary, still

thermostat

-stomy

Greek

opening into

colostomy

-therm

Greek

heat

homoeotherm

-thes, -thesis

Greek

arrangement, in order

hypothesis

-tom, -tomy

Greek

dividing, surgery

lobotomy

-trope, -tropic

Greek

turning

phototropic

-vor, -vore

Latin vorare

feeding

carnivore

-zoa,-zoan,-zoic

Greek

animal, life

protozoa