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LATIN AND GREEK ROOTS OF TECHNICAL WORDS 



The following list of Latin and Greek roots and stems may prove of value to students 

 who wish to know the meaning of anatomical and embryological names. The root is 

 given in the form in which it is usually employed in combination, and there is no at- 

 tempt to give the form of the word from which it is derived. Parentheses are used to 

 show variants, usually the result of declination or conjugation. 



a, at the beginning of many words, without 



ab, from 



abduc, lead or draw from 



acanth, prickle or spine 



acer, without horns 



acetabul, vinegar cup 



acin, cluster of grapes 



aero, summit or top 



aclin, ray 



acust, relating to hearing 



ad, to, towards 



adduct, draw to or towards 



adipo, fat 



advehen, carrying to 



adventitia, foreign, coming or added to 



aegiiho, sparrow 



affer, carrying to 



ala, wing 



alb, white 



ali, wing (in some cases a dififerent 



meaning) 

 allant, sausage 

 alve, pit, cavity or socket 

 ambly, blunt 

 amnio, a fcEtal envelope 

 amoeh, change 

 amphi, both, on both sides 

 ampulla, a flask 



an, at the beginning of words, without 

 ana, up, back, again, anew 

 anchus, bend, bay or sinus 

 andr, man (male) 

 angul, angle 



ankylo, stiffening of the joints 

 anomo, lawless, irregular 

 ante, in front of 

 anthro, man 

 anti, opposite, against 

 antr, cave 



aorta, lifted up (part of blood-vessel) 

 apo, from 



aqua, water 



arach, spider, spider-web 



arbor, tree 



arc, arch 



arch, ancient, primitive 



archos, anus, the rectum 



are, space 



argent, silver 



arthro, joint 



artic, joint 



artio, even in number 



aryten, pitcher 



asc, sac, pouch 



aspid, shield 



aster, star 



astrag, dice, originally a knuckle bone, 



used as a die 

 astra, star 



astyl, without pillar or prop 

 ater, atra, black 

 alias, a Titan, fabled to carry the 



on his shoulders 

 atr {ium), vestibule or forecourt 

 aur, ear, gold 

 auto, self 

 axi, axis 

 azyg, unpaired (without a yoke fellow) 



baena, walking 



balan, acorn 



barb, beard 



bast, at the bottom 



bat (is), skate, ray 



bdella, sucker 



bi {o or a), life 



bi (5), twice or two 



bigemin, twins, paired 



blast, germ 



botry, small bunch of grapes 



brachi, arm, especially upper arm 



brachy, short 



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