Vocabulary Roots

Vocabulary Roots

Compiled by Steve Sneeringer

ROOTS _______________MEANING______________EXAMPLES

acea___________________healing, cure______________panacea

acr, acro________________high, height ______________acrobat, acrophobia

alt, alti__________________high, height______________altitude, altimeter

ambi___________________both____________________ambidextrous, ambivalent

anemo__________________wind___________________anemometer

ang____________________angle or corner____________hexangular, quadrangle

anglo __________________English__________________Anglophile, Anglo Saxon

anim___________________life, spirit, soul_____________animation, unanimous

annu___________________life or years_______________biannual, annually

anthropo________________man, human being__________anthropology, philanthropist

apo____________________away, off, from____________apogee, apology

aqu, aque, aqua___________water___________________aquarium, aquatic, aqueduct

arch, archy_______________rule____________________anarchist, monarchy

archeo__________________ancient, very old___________archeology

aristo___________________best____________________aristocracy

aster, astro, astro__________star or stars______________astronomy, astronaut, asteroid

athlon__________________ physical contest___________decathlon, athlete

audi____________________to hear_________________audible, auditorium, audiometer

auto, auth _______________of, by, or for self __________author, automobile, autopsy

baro___________________ pressure, weight___________barometer

biblio___________________book ___________________bibliography, bibliophile

bi, bio___________________life, living________________biopsy, biography, biology

camer___________________chamber ________________bicameral, unicameral

capit ____________________head __________________decapitate, capital, capitol

carn ____________________flesh, meat ______________incarnation, carnage

cast ____________________to record ________________forecast, telecast

cede ____________________to go, to move ___________precede, antecedent

cell _____________________small room, cell __________unicell, cellular

cent, centi, centu ___________a hundred, a hundredth ____centennial, centimeter, century

chron, chrono______________time __________________chronic, chronological

cide _____________________to kill _________________homicide, suicidal

circ, circum _______________around, about ___________circumference, semicircle

claustro __________________to confine, close _________claustrophobia

colon ____________________a punctuation(:) _________semicolon

corn _____________________horn, horned ___________unicorn, bicorn

coron ____________________crown ________________coronet, coronation

cosmo ___________________world, universe _________microcosm, cosmonaut

cracy, crat _________________rule, government ________aristocratic, democrat, theocracy

cred _____________________belief, trust, faith ________credible, creditor

crit ______________________to judge _______________critical, hypocritical

cuit ______________________to cook, cooked ________biscuit

cur ______________________to run ________________concur, current

cure _____________________to heal ________________pedicure, manicurist

cycle ____________________a circle or wheel _________bicycle, cyclical

dec, deca _________________ten, a tenth part_________decade, December,

deci, decim _______________decimal________________decigram

demo ____________________people________________democracy

dent _____________________tooth_________________denture, dentist

derm ____________________skin__________________dermatology

dextr ____________________the right hand___________ambidextrous, dexterity

dict _____________________to say, to speak_________dictator

du ______________________two__________________duet, dual, duality, duo

duce, duct ________________to lead________________aqueduct, produce, deduction

eco _____________________environment____________ecology

eco _____________________management of__________economy

en, ennial ________________year___________________centenarian, biennial, millennium

entomo __________________insect_________________entomology

esthesia __________________sensation, feeling________anesthesia

etymo ___________________true__________________etymology

eu ______________________well, good_____________eulogy, euphemism

eval _____________________of a certain time_________medieval, primeval

fact _____________________to make, to do__________factory, manufacture

fix ______________________to fasten_______________prefix, fixture

foc _____________________focus, lens______________bifocals, focal

gamy ____________________marriage, union _________bigamy, monogamy, polygamy

gen _____________________of such a kind___________ homogenize, hydrogen

geo, gee _________________the earth_______________ geology, geography, apogee

gnosis ___________________knowledge _____________diagnosis, prognosis

gon _____________________angle or corner __________diagonal, pentagon

grad ____________________a step, degree___________ gradual, centigrade, graduate

gram ____________________metric weight ___________centigram, milligram

gram ____________________a writing _______________telegram, diagram

graph ___________________written _________________biography, polygraph autobiography, paragraph

hecto ___________________a hundred _______________hectogram

hedron __________________surfaces or seats __________polyhedron

helio ____________________the sun _________________heliotropism, heliocentric

hem, hemo, emia ___________blood __________________hemorrhage, hemophilia, leukemia

hept, hepta _______________seven __________________heptagon

hex, hexa ________________six ____________________hexagon

histor ___________________knowing, learned__________history, prehistoric, historian

hom, homo _______________same, like_______________homonym, homogeneous

homi, homo ______________man____________________homicide, Homo Sapiens

hum ____________________ground, earth, soil_________posthumously, humus, humble

hydr, hydro ______________water___________________ hydrant, hydrology, hydrophobia

iatrist, iatry_______________healing, curing_____________psychiatrist, podiatry

isl______________________island___________________isle, islet

it_______________________to go___________________transit

ject_____________________to throw, to cast __________reject, project, subject

kilo_____________________a thousand_______________kilometer

lab, laborat_______________work___________________collaborate, laboratory

latera___________________side or sides______________bilateral, multilateral. lateral

lavat____________________to wash,_________________to clean lavatory

lect ____________________ to choose, to gather________collect, neglect

leg _____________________to read__________________illegible

leg _____________________law, lawful________________legal, illegitimate

leuk ____________________white, colorless____________leukemia

libr _____________________book or books____________library, libretto

lingu ____________________language, tongue___________bilingual, linguist

liter _____________________metric volume____________centiliter, milliliter

logy_____________________a study of _______________zoological, biologist,

log, log __________________a speech________________soliloquy, monologue

luc, lumin, lustr ____________to light, to shine___________illuminate, translucent, illustrate

lun _____________________the moon________________semilunar, lunar

macro __________________great, large_______________macrocosm

mania __________________a madness________________monomania

man, mani, manu __________the hand_________________manage, manicure, manual

mare, mari ______________of the sea_________________aquamarine, submarine

medi, medio _____________in the middle______________mediator, median, mediocre

mega ___________________large, great______________megaphone

mela ___________________black, dark______________melanoma, Melanesia

merge __________________to arise, to plunge_________submerge

meri ___________________the middle_______________antemeridan

meter, metry _____________a measure_______________barometer, trigonometry

micr, micro ______________small, a millionth__________micrometer, microcosm,

mil, mille, milli ____________a thousand ______________millennium, millimeter, mile

mobile _________________move, moving ____________automobile, mobility

mon, mono _____________one, single, alone __________monarch, monopoly, monologue

monit __________________a warning _______________premonition, monitor

mor ___________________a way of acting ___________immoral, morality

mor, mors, mortem ________death __________________postmortem

mort, mortu _____________to die, death ____________ mortal, mortuary

mot ___________________motion _________________commotion

mult, multi ______________many, more than __________multilateral, multiplicity, multitude

mur ___________________wall ___________________intramural, mural

natur __________________nature__________________ supernatural, natural

naut __________________navigation, sailor___________nautical, astronaut, aquanaut

nesia__________________island or islands____________Polynesia, Micronesia

neuro _________________nerve or nerves____________neurology

nomy _________________law, the science of__________astronomy, economy

non, nona, nove _________nine_____________________ nonagon, novennial, November

norm _________________rule, pattern_______________ abnormal, normalcy

nov __________________ new_____________________novel, renovate, novice

ocle, ocul_______________the eye or eyes____________binocular, monocle, oculist

oct, octa, octo___________eight____________________octant, octagon, October, octopus

ohm___________________unit of electrical resistance ___microhm, ohm

onym__________________word, name______________pseudonym, synonymous, anonymous

oper___________________labor, work______________opera, cooperate, operation, operetta

opsy, opto______________sight, vision_______________autopsy, biopsy, optometry

orama__________________a view, a sight____________diorama, panorama

ov_____________________egg or eggs______________ovary, ovum

pan____________________all, every________________panacea, panorama

pass, path, pathy__________suffering, feeling___________compassion, pathetic, sympathy

ped, pedi________________foot, feet________________pedal, pedestrian, pedicure

ped, pod________________foot, feet________________pedometer, podiatrist

pent, penta, pus___________five____________________pentathlon, Pentagon, platypus

petr, petro_______________rock, stone______________petroleum, petroglyph

phil, phil, philia____________to love, loving____________philanthropist, philosopher

phile ___________________love ___________________Anglophile, hemophilia

phobe, phobia____________abnormal fear____________homophobe, claustrophobia

phon, phono ,phony sound___phonics, phonograph, _____microphone, symphony, telephone

photo___________________light___________________photograph, photocopy, photosynthesis

plane___________________flat, level, winged_________aquaplane, biplane

ple, ply_________________thickness, to fold__________multiple, triplet, triplicate

Pluto___________________wealth, wealthy___________plutocracy, plutocratic

pol, polis_________________cities, city_______________metropolis, megalopolis

 

 

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