Many words used in science and math are based on Greek or Latin words. Understanding the common Greek or Latin roots will help you understand many technical words that might be confusing otherwise.
Here are some common Greek and Latin roots that we have used recently.
| Root | Meaning | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| aster- | star | asteroid asterism asterisk |
| bi- | two | bicycle bipedal bicameral bivalent bilateral |
| cap- | hold | capacity capacitor capture captive |
| cardi- | heart | cardiac cardiology cardioid |
| cent- | hundred | century centurion centipede |
| chron- | time | chronometer chronic chronology anachronism |
| circ- | circular, round | circular circuit circumference |
| contra- | opposite | contrary contralateral contrapositive contraindication |
| -cyt- | cell | cytology osteocyte |
| dec- | ten | decade decathlon |
| dent- | tooth | dentist dental dentifrice |
| derm- | skin | dermatitis dermatology dermatophyte intradermal pachyderm |
| di- | two | diatomic dipole dicot |
| du- | two | duplex duopoly |
| ec- | out | eccentric appendectomy |
| electr- | amber, electricity | electric electron electromagnetic |
| endo- | inside | endoscopy endovascular endogenous |
| erytho- | red | erythroderma erythrocyte |
| exo- | outside | exoplanet exogenous exotic |
| extra- | outside | extraordinary extraterrestrial extreme |
| -fer- | to bear, to carry | transfer conifer aquifer |
| fract- | break | fraction fracture |
| graph- | write, draw | geography photograph graphic |
| hem- | blood | heme hemoglobin hematologist hematoma |
| hemi- | half | hemisphere hemiplegia |
| hept- | seven | heptagon
|
| hex- | six | hexagon hexane hexapod |
| hyper- | above, beyond | hyperactive hyperplasia hyperacute |
| hypo- | under, less than | hypothermia hypodermic hypoactive |
| -itis | inflammation | appendicitis arthritis cholecytitis colitis |
| jov- | Jupiter | jovial perijove jovian |
| lamin- | layer | laminate laminar |
| later- | side | lateral bilateral quadrilateral |
| leuko- | white | leukocyte leukemia |
| lumin- | light | luminous luminary |
| lun- | moon | lunate lunatic cislunar |
| macro- | large | macroscale macroenvironment macroeconomics |
| mar- | war | martial |
| meteor- | high in the air, the sky | meteorology meteorite |
| micro- | small | microscope microeconomics microgram microbe |
| mill- | thousand | millennium millipede million |
| mono- | one | monorail monocot mononucleosis monocyte monoclonal monolith |
| morph- | form, shape | morphology lagomorph morpheme |
| multi- | many | multiple multidimensional multipurpose |
| nano- | very small | nanometer nanotechnology |
| oct- | eight | octopus october octogon |
| -oid | like | asteroid android spheroid |
| -ology | the study of | cardiology neurology dermatology theology |
| omni- | all | omnipresent omniscient omnipotent |
| opt- | eye | optics optometry optimist |
| orb- | circle | orbit orb |
| ortho- | straight | orthopedics orthotic orthodox orthodontist |
| os- | mouth | tracheostomy colostomy per os |
| osteo- | bone | osteoarthritis osteocyte osteopenia osteoporosis |
| ped- | foot | pedal pedestrian |
| penta- | five | pentagon pentateuch |
| photo- | light | photograph photoelectric photon |
| plat- | flat | plateau platysma |
| pne- | breath, spirit | pneumonia pneumatocyte pneumatics |
| poly- | many | polygon polygamy polynomial |
| pulmon- | lung | pulmonology pulmonary |
| -pus | foot | platypus octopus |
| quad- | four | quadrilateral quadruped quadriplegia quadrant |
| ren- | kidney | renal adrenal renin prerenal |
| -scope | see | microscope telescope ophthalmoscope stethoscope |
| sol- | sun | solar insolation |
| spect- | to look at | inspect circumspect spectacle spectrum |
| spir- | breath, spirit | inspire respiratory spirit |
| stell- | star | interstellar constellation stellate |
| tele- | far | telescope telegraph telemetry |
| terr- | earth, ground | terrain terrarium |
| tetra- | four | tetrapod tetrarch |
| thrombo- | clot | thrombus thrombocyte thrombolytic |
| tom- | cut | tomography atom cholecystectomy |
| trans- | across | transplant transverse transcutaneous transmit |
| tri- | three | triceratops triangle trilateral trivalent tricycle |
| turb- | bother, disturb | turbulence perturb |
| uni- | one | unicorn unicycle universe unilateral |
| xen- | strange, foreign | xenophobia xenotransplant |
Wikipedia list of Greek and Latin Roots
Why so many scientific words are made of Greek and Latin roots
Why English is a Germanic Language
CoMo Science 
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