Greek and Latin Root Words for Biology
A B C
a(n)- without baca- small berry caduci- temporary
ab- away from baccatus- berried caec- blind
abduc- lead from baena- walking caerul- sky blue
acanth- prickle balan- acorn caespit- tufted
acer- without horns barb- beard calam- reed, aspen
acetabul- vinegar cup basi- at the bottom calc- stone
aceto- acid bat(is) skate, ray calli- beautiful
acin- cluster of grapes bdella- sucker callos callous
acri- acrid, sharp bell- pretty calor- heat
acro- summit, top bi- two calyx cup, chalice
actin- ray bi(ola)- life camp- field
acust- of hearing blast- germ campanula bell
ad- towards bore- north cani- dog
adipo- fat botry- small bunch of grapes cap(it)- head
adventit- coming to bov- ox capill- hair
aegopod- goat-foot brachi- arm capsella- small box
aestiv- summer brachy- short card- heart
affer- carrying to brady- slow carin- keel
agrest- rural, wild branch- gill cam- flesh
agro(st)- field brevi- short carotid- producing stupor
al(i)- wing brizo- to nod carp- seed, wrist
alb- white bromo- oats, broom, shadow cary- nut
allant- sausage bronch- windpipe cata- down
allium garlic bucca- mouth cavity cauda- tail
alopec- fox bulbos- bulbous cav- hollow
altissim- tall bulla- bubble, flask centi- hundred
alve- pit, socket bullat- wrinkled ceph(al)- head
ambly- blunt buno- hill cera(s)(t)- horn
ambul- walk bursa- pouch, purse cerc- horns, lobes, short tail
ammo- sand cerebro- brain
amnio- fetal envelope cerv- neck
amoeb- change ch(e)ir- hand
amphi- both chaero- to please
amplex- clasping chaet- bristle
ampulla- flask chamae- on ground
amygdala- almond shaped chel- turtle
organ cheno- goose
amyl- starch chiasm- crossing
an- without chil- lip
ana- up, back, again chlamy- outer garment
anatol- east chlor- green
Anagallis- delightful choan- funnel
anchus- bend, bay chondr- cartilage
andr- male chord- cord
anemo- wind chorion membrane
angi- vessel chrom- colour
angul- angle chrys- golden
angusti- narrow chyl- fluid
ankylo- stiff jointed chym- juice
annu- annual cili- eyelash
anomo- lawless, irregular ciner- ashen, grey
anser- geese cipit- head
ante- before circum- around
antho- flower cirr- tentacle (originally curl)
anthro- human cl(e)ist- closed
anti- against, opposite clad- branch
antr- cave clast- broken
apo- separate, from clav- key
aqua- water cleid- key
aguilin- eagle-beaked cleithr- bar, key
arach- spider clin- bed, recline
arbor- tree cloaca sewer
arc- arch coccus berry, grain
arch(ae/i)- ancient cochl- shell
arct(i/o)- north, bear coel- hollow
are- space col(on) large intestine
areni- sandy coll- neck
arg(en/lyr)- silver collat- borne together
arthro- joint columella little column
artic- jointed com- with
artio- even-numbered commis- sent out
arundin- reed-like communis- colonial
asc- sac commutat- changed
asper- rough compact- compact
aspid- shield compress- flattened
ast(e)r- star con- with
astrag- dice (originally a conch- shell
knuckle bone) condyl- knuckle
ater, atra- black cono- cone
Atlas= a Titan(mythical giant) contra- opposite
who supported the world on convolvo- to entwine
his shoulders copro- dung
atr(ium)- vestibule cora(xlg)- raven
Atropos= one of the Fates who corb- basket
cut the thread of life cord- heart
aur- ear, gold corium- leather
austral- southern corn- horn
auto- self coron- crown
aux- grow corp- body
avi- bird cort- bark
axi- axis cost- rib
azyg- unpaired cotyl- cup
crani- skull
crass- thick
crep- shoe
cribi- sieve
cric- ring
crispus curled
crist- crest
crosso- fringe, tassel
cru(rals)- shank
cruci- cross-like
crypt- hidden
cten- comb
cune-wedge
cusp- lance, point
cuti- skin
cyan- blue
cycl- circular
cyno- dog
cyst- capsule
cyt- cell
D E F
dactyl- finger echino- spiny fab- bean
dasy- shaggy echis- viper falc- sickle-shaped
deci- ten eco- house fallax- false
decid- falling off ecto- outside fasc(ic)- bundle
decuss- cross banding effer- carrying away fatuus- foolish, useless
deka- ten effusus- loosely spreading feli- cat
delph- womb ejacul- throw out fer- carry
delphis- dolphin elasmo- plate, flat ficar- fig-like
demi- half elat- tall fil- thread
dendr- tree -ell- diminutive fistul- hollow, tube
dent- tooth embio- living flacc- flabby
derm- skin embol- thrown in flav- yellow
dero- persisting endo- inside flexu- wavy
desmo- band engy- narrow flocculus- lock of wool
deut- second ensi- sword fluitans- floating
dextro- right entolenter- inside foen- hay
di(a)- two eo- dawn, east foetid- foul smelling
dia- through epi- upon foli- leaf
didym- twin equi- horse, equal fontan- fountain
digit- finger erect- upright foramen- opening
dino- terrible erythr- red fornix- vault
diplo- double esculent- edible fovea- shallow round
dipso- thirst ethm- sieve depression
dissect- deeply cut eu- well, very fruticans- shrubby
dodeca- twelve eury- wide fund- to pour
don't- tooth ex- out of furc(ul)- fork
dors- back exiguus- slender
drom- quick running exo- outside
dubi- doubtful extens- draw out
dulci- sweet extra- beyond
duo- two extrins- coming from
dur- hard
G H I, J, K
gal- milk haem- blood ichthy- fish
gale- weasel hal- salty -ida- like
gall- of France hallu(x/ci)- big toe -idae- ending of zoological
gangli- knot hamat- hook family names
gano- shining haplo- single, simple ileum- twisted
gast(e)r- stomach, pouch hasta(t)- spear-tip shape impar- unpaired
gemin- twins hect- hundred in- in, not
gemm- bud heira- hawk -in- diminutive
genu- knee, joint helios- sun -inae- ending of zoological
geranium- crane helminth- worm sub-family names
gerro- shield helo- wart incarnat- flesh coloured
gladi- sword hemi- half incis- cutting in
glen- socket hepa(r/t)- liver incus- anvil
glia- glue hepta- seven inermis- unarmed
glom(er)- half of yam hetero- different inflexis- rigid
glo(ss/tt)- tongue hex- six infra- under
glut- sticky hibem- winter inter- between
gl(uly)c- sweet hippo- horse intra- within
glypt- carved, engraved hirsut- hairy iod- violet
gnaph- wool hispid- bristly -iola- diminutive
gnath- jaw histri- actor iris- rainbow
goni- angle holo- complete, whole iso- equal
gono- seed homo- man, same iter- passage
gracil- slender homal- flat
gram- of grass hormon- that which excites
gymn- naked hortens- of gardens jug- yoked together
gyn- woman humus- ground jungoljunc- to bind
gyr- turning hyal- glassy
hydr- water
hyemal- winter ket- ketone
hyo- U-shaped kilo- thousand
hyper- above
hypo- beneath
L M N
labi- lips macr- large na(rls)- nose
labyrinth- tortuous passage macula- spot necro- dead
lacer- torn magni- large necto- swimming
lacrim- tears maj- greater nema- hair
lact- milk mala- cheek nemoral- in woods
lacuna- space malleus- hammer, mallet neo- new
laevo- left mamma- breast nephr- kidney
lagena- flask mandib- lower jaw neur- nerve
lamella- leaf, layer manu- hand nictitat- winking
lan(at)- wool maritim- of the sea nigr- black
lanceol(at)- lance-shaped marsupium- pouch non- not
lati- broad masseter- chewer nona- nine
lecith- egg yolk mast- nipple noth- spurious
lemm- skin, husk mat(e)ri- mother notho- southern
lens- lentil, bean maxi- large noto- back, south
leo(n)- lion maxill- jaw nu(clx)- nut
lepid- scale maxim- greatest nuch- back of neck
lepto- slender meatus- passage nucle- little nut
leuc- white medi- medium nud- naked
levator- lifter medull- marrow nulli- none
lign- wood mega- large nutans- nodding
ligul- strap-shaped mel(l)i- honey
lin- line melan- black
ling- tongue menin(x,g)- membrane
lip- fat meno- moon
lith- stone mer- part
log(y)- discourse meso- middle
loph- crest meta- after
lumen- cavity micro- small
luna- moon milli- thousand
lupus wolf min- smaller
lute- yellow minim- smallest
lymph- clear water mirabile- wonderful
lysis- loosen miss- sent
mito- thread
mixi- mingle
moll- soft
monil- string of beads
mono- one
montan- of mountains
morph- form
motor- mover
multi- many
mural- walls
muri- mouse
myo- muscle, mouse
myri- countless
myx- mucous
myz- sucker
O P Q, R
obtect- concealed pachy- thick quadr- four
obturat- closed palae- old quarter- four
obtusi- blunt palli(um)- mantle quin(t/que)- five
occiden- Western pallid- pale
occip- back of head palustri- in marshes
oct- eight pan- ali rach- spine
odont- tooth par(a)- near radi- root
odor- fragrant parie- wall ram- branching
oecious- house of parvi- little ran- frog
oed- swollen patella- small dish rapa- turnip
oen- wine patens- spreading raph- seam
oesoph- gullet pect(or)- chest rect- straight
officinal- used in medicine pectin- comb-like reflex- bent back
-oid- like ped- foot, child ren- kidney
olecran- skull of elbow pellucid- shining through repens- crawling
oleo- oily pene- almost reptans- crawling
olfact- smelling pent- five retic- network
oligo- few per(i)- through, beyond retina- little net
oliva- olive peregrin- foreign retro- behind, backward
omaso- paunch peri- around rhabd- rod
oment- fat skin persic- peach rhach- spine
omm- eye petr- rock rhage- tear, rent
omo- shoulder phaeo- dark rhin- nose, snout
omphalo- navel phag- eat rhiz- root
onto- existing phalan(g/x)- close formation rhodo- red
oo- egg of troops rhynch- snout
op(t)- eye phalar- shining -rrh- flow
operculum- little cover phanero- visible rode- gnaw
ophi- snake pher- carry rogos- wrinkled
ophthalmo- eye phil- love rostr- beak, prow
opistho- behind phloe- tree bark rota- tum, wheel
opoter- either phor- carry rub(e)r- red
or- mouth pho(s/to)- light rumen- throat
orbi- circle phragm- fence
orch- testicle phren- diaphragm, mind
oriental- Eastern phyl- tribe
ornith- bird phyll- leaf
ortho- straight physa- bladder
os(ti)- mouth physio- nature
os(s/t)- bone phyto- plant
ostrac shell pil- hair
ot- ear pinea- pine cone
ovi- sheep pinnat- feather-shaped
ovo- egg pisum- pea
oxys, oxus- sharp, pointed pisc- fish
plac- plate, tablet
plagio- oblique
plan- flat
platy- flat, broad
plec(o/t)- twist, pluck
plesio- near
pleth- full
pleur- side
plex- interwoven
plica- fold
plum- feather
pneu(mo/st)- air, lung
pod- foot
pogo- beard
polio- grey
polit- polished
poll(ex)- thumb
poly- many
pons- bridge
porc- pig
porphyr- purple
porta- gate
post- after
potam- river
potero- drinking cup
praeco- early
pratens- in meadows
pre- before
prim- first
pro- in front of
proct- anus
procumbens- lying flat
profund- deep
proliger- bear offspring
prom- first
proso- front
prostratus- lying flat
prot- first
prunus- plum
psamma- sand
pseud- false
psycho- mind
psychro- cold
pter- wing, fern
ptyal- sahva
pubescens- downy
pubi- sexually mature
pulmo- lung
pungens- pungent
pusill- very small
pygo- rump
pyl- gate
pyo- pus
pyro- heat, fire
pyrus- pear
S T U-Z
sacchar- sugar tachy- fast uliginosus- in marshes
saccul- little sac tact- touch -ul- diminutive
sacr- sacred taenia- ribbon ulo- wooly
sagitta- arrow talus- ankle ultra- above
sal- salt tapetum- carpet umbilic- navel
sanguini- bloody tard- late un- one
sapon- soapy tarsus- ankle unc- hook
sarc- flesh tect- covered ungui- nail, claw
sativus- cultivated tegmen- covering ungul- hoof, claw
saur- lizard tel (e/o)- far, end urens- bum
scala- ladder teleo- complete uro- tail
scalene- uneven temno- cut urs- of bears
scaph- anything hollow, bowl, tenacul- holding utricul- little skin bag
ship tentor- spread like a tent uv(ela)- grapes
schizo- split tenuis- slender
scler- hard ter(ti)- three
scop- gaze, small owl, broom, teres- round vagina- sheath
shadow tetr- four vagus- wandering
scut- shield textilis- of textiles vas- vessel
scyph- cup thalam- chamber, bed velum- veil
seba- tallow, wax thalass- sea ven- vein
sect- cut theca- case ventr- belly
segetum- in cornfields thel- nipple, female verd- green
selen- moon therm- heat veris- true
sella- saddle, seat thero- breast, mammal verm- worm
semi- half thyreo- large shield vern- spring
sept- seven, wall tinctori- of dyes versi- various
ser(olu)- any body fluid torn- cut vesic- blister
serot- late tomentos- densely woolly vesper- evening, western
serrat- saw-toothed torpe- numb vill- shaggy hair, velvet
set- hair toxo- arrow, dart virens- green
sex- six trab- beam visc- organs of body cavity
simi- monkey trachy- rough vita- life
sinus- hollow, bay trago- goat vitell- yolk
sipho- tube trans- across vitr- glass
sol- sun trapez- four sided, table vora- devour
soma- body trema- hole vulgaris- common
somni- sleep tremulans- trembling vulp- fox
specios- showy tri- three
sperm- seed trich- hair
sphen- wedge trivialis- trivial xanth- yellow
sphinct- closing troch- wheel xen- stranger
spinos- spiny trop- turning xer- dry
spondyl- vertebra troph- feed xiphi- sword
squalid- squalid tussi- cough xyl- wood
squam- scale
squarros- spreading at tips
stae(rlt)- fat zo- animal
sta(silt)- standing zon- girdle
steg- covering zyg- yoke
stell- star
steno- narrow
stereo- solid
steril- sterile
stern- breastbone
stom- mouth
strat- layer
strept- twisted
strictus- upright, stiff
strigos- having stiff bristles
stroph- turning
styl- column
sub- below
sucr- sugar
sulc- furrow
super- beyond
supin- lying back
supra- above
sutur- seam
sym- with
syn- with
syrin(glx)- pipe
sys- with
By,
Vinayak…
Thanks for reading…
