EUGENE M. MCCARTHY, PHD
a- or an- [Greek a- and an- un-, non-] Negative, not (abiotic, acaulescent, acephalia, aphasia, asexual, atrophy, anorexia, anencephaly). Note: Before vowels, and usually before h, an- is used, but a- is used before consonants other than h (and sometimes even before h).
ab- [Latin ab departing from] From, away from, outside of (abaxial).
abdomin- or abdomino- [Latin abdomen] Denotes the abdomen (abdominogenital, abdominopelvic).
abro- [Greek habros delicate] Delicate, graceful (Abrocoma = a genus of fine-haired, South American rodents).
ac- See: ad-.
acanth- or acantho- [Greek akantha thorn] Thorn, spine, any sharp process (acanthoid).
acar- or acari- or acario- or acaro- [Greek akari mite] Denotes ticks or mites (acarine, acarology).
accipitr- [Latin accipiter hawk] Denotes a bird of prey, usually goshawks or sparrowhawks (accipitral).
acet- or aceto- or acetyl- [Latin acetum vinegar, sour wine] Vinegar, acid, acetic, acetyl (acetamide).
aci- Indicates the acid of a tautomeric compound.
acicul- [Latin acicula small pin] Needle, needlelike (aciculate).
acipenser- [Latin acipenser sturgeon] Denotes sturgeon (Acipenseriformes).
acou- or acous- or acouso- or acoust- [Greek akouein to hear] Denotes hearing (acoumeter).
acr- or acro- [Greek akros uppermost] At the top or apex (acrogenous, acromion).
acrid- or acrido- [Greek akris grasshopper] Denotes grasshopper(s) (Acrididae).
acromio- [Greek akromion acromion] Denotes the acromion (acromiohumeral).
actin- or actino- [Greek aktis ray] Having rays, radiating spines, or tentacles (Actinophrys).
acu- [Latin acus needle, pin] With a needle (acupuncture, acusection).
acule- or aculeo- [Latin aculeus sting, spine, thorn, prickle, point, spike] Stinging, prickly; prickle, thorn, spine (aculeolate).
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acumin- [Latin acumen sharpened point, spur; sting; peak] Pointed, sharp, tapering, stinging (acuminate).
acuti- or acuto- [Latin acutus sharp, sharpened, pointed; severe; acute] Pointed, sharp, severe, acute (acutifoliate).
ad- [Latin ad to, up to, towards; near, at; on] Toward, at, on (adducent, adrenal). Note: ad- becomes ac- before c, k, or q (acclimation); af- before f (afferent); ag- before g (agglutinate); al- before l (allusion); ap- before p (approximal); as- before s (assimilate); at- before t (rare).
aden- or adeno- [Greek aden gland] Denotes gland (adenocarcinoma).
adip- or adipo- [Latin adeps fat, grease; fatty tissue] Denotes fat (adipose, adiposus).
adren- or adrenal- or adreno- [Latin ad and renalis pertaining to the kidney] Denotes the adrenal gland (adrenosterone). See: adren-.
aer- or aeri- or aero- [Latin aer air] Air (aerobiology).
aequi- In taxonomic names: variant of equi.
aesthesi- or aesthesio- See: esthesi-.
aetio- See: etio-.
af- See: ad-.
after- Subsequent, behind; the word after retains its ordinary meaning when used as a prefix (afterbirth).
ag- See: ad-.
agr- or agri- or agrio- [Latin ager field, farm] Denotes farming, fields, rusticity, or wildness (agriculture).
alb- or albi- or albid- or albu- [Latin albus white, pale, fair, gray; bright, clear] White, pale, bright (albino).
alg- or alge- or alges- or algesi- or algesio- or algi- or algio- or algo- [Greek algesia sense of pain] Denotes pain or sensitivity to pain (algesia).
alkal- or alkali- [Arabic al-qili ashes of saltwort] Alkali (alkaline).
all- or allo- [Latin alius other, another; different, changed] Other, different, dissimilar, extraneous (allopolyploid).
alli- [Latin allium garlic] Pertaining to the onion genus Allium.
amb- or ambi- [Latin ambo both] Both (ambilateral).
ambly- or amblyo- [Greek amblys blunt, dull] Blunt, dull, impaired perception (amblyopia, Amblypygi).
ambul- or ambulo- [Latin ambulare to walk, move about] Denotes walking or moving about (ambulatory, Ambulocetus ).
amethyst- [Greek amethystos amethyst] Lavender, purple (Lampornis amethystinus ).
amid- or amido- Containing the amino group (—NH2); generally in combination with a acid radical (amidine).
amin- or amino- Containing the amino group (—NH2) in combination with a non-acid radical (aminoacetic acid).
amnio- [Greek amnion caul] Pertaining to the amnion (amniorrhexis).
ampel- [Greek ampelos grapevine] Denotes vines, especially grapevines (ampelinum).
amph- or amphi- [Greek amphoos around, on both sides] both, of both kinds, on both sides (amphibian, amphimixis).
amphor- [Greek amphoreus amphora] Shaped like an amphora, a type of ancient Grecian urn (amphorata).
ampl- [Latin ampliare enlarge, augment, widen] In taxonomic names: large, ample (Syzygium_amplifolium ).
amplexi- [Latin amplecti surround, encircle, embrace, clasp] Clasping, grasping (amplexifoliate).
ampulla- [Latin ampulla ampulla = a small bottle used by the Romans] Denotes a bladder or flask (ampullaceous).
amygdal- [Latin amygdalum almond (tonsils are almond-shaped)] (1) almond(s); almond-shaped (amygdaloid); (2) tonsil (amygdalitis, amygdalotome)
amyl- [Latin amylum starch] Starch (amylase).
an- See: a-
an- or ana- [Greek ana up, on, back] (1) up, upward (anabolic, anagenesis); (2) back (anaphase).
an- or ano- [Latin anus anus] Pertaining to the anus (anorectal).
ancyl- or ancylo- or anchyl- or anchylo- See: ankyl-.
andr- or andro- [Greek andros genitive of aner, man] (1) of, pertaining to, or like a man or men; male (Andrias , androgen); (2) in plants, pertaining to the stamen.
anem- or anemo- [Greek anem wind] Denotes wind (anemochore, anemometer).
angio- [Greek angos vessel] Relating to blood or lymph vessels (angiorrhexis).
anglo- [Old English Angles, pl of Engle; name of the Angles who invaded Britain in the 5th century] English (anglophobe).
aniso- [an- + iso- ] Unequal, not uniform (anisogamy).
ankyl- or ankylo- or ancyl- or ancylo- or anchyl- or anchylo- [Greek ankylos bent; the second sense of fusion from reference to the fused joints of crooked limbs] (1) bent, curved (Ancylostomatidae); (2) fusion, stiffness, growing together (ankylodactylia).
ano- See: an-.
ant- or anti- or ante- or anth- [Greek anti- against] (1) against; (2) opposing (antienzyme); (2) neutralizing (antidote).
ante- [Latin ante in front, in view; before, facing] Before, in front, forward (antepenultimate).
anter- or antero- [Latin ante in front, in view; before, facing] In front, anterior (anteriad, anterolateral, anteroposterior).
anth- or antho- [Greek anthos flower] (1) flower; (2) flowerlike (anthocyanin).
anthrac- or anthraco- [Greek anthax coal, carbuncle] (1) coal (anthracosis); (2) anthrax-related.
anthrop- or anthropo- [Greek anthropos human] Of or relating to human beings (anthropochelonid).
ap- or aph- or apo- [Greek apo away from, off] Away from, off, detached; separate (apocarpous).
api- [Latin apis bee] Bee (apiology, apiphobia).
apic- or apici- or apico- [Latin apex, apicis point, top, summit; cap, crown] Tip, end, summit (apical).
apl- or aplo- See: haplo-.
aplano- [Greek aplanes fixed] Non-mobile (aplanospore).
append- or appendo- or appendic- or appendico- [Latin appendix appendage] Pertaining to the vermiform appendix (appendectomy, appendicitis).
arab- or arabo- [arabinose; arabinose is named for gum arabic, from which it was first isolated] Arabinose (arabogalactan).
arachn- or arachno- [Greek arachne spider] (1) pertaining to or like an arachnid (arachnodactyly); (2) relating to the arachnoid membrane (arachnitis).
arch- or archo- [Greek archos anus] Denotes the anus or rectum (archocele).
archa- or arche- or archeo- [Greek arche beginning] Original, initial, at the beginning (archetype).
argilla- or argilli- or argillo- [Latin argilla clay] Clay (argillaceous).
arct- or arcto- [Greek arktos bear (the animal); the sense, north, is through the northern constellation, the Great Bear] (1) bear (Arctodus); (2) north, northern (arctic).
arteri- or arterio- [Greek arteria artery] Artery (arteriography, arteriogram).
arteriol- or arteriolo- [arteri- + -ole] Arteriole (arteriolopathy).
arthr- or arthro- [Greek arthron joint] Joint (arthritis).
arti- or artio- [Greek artios even in number] Even in number (artiodactyl).
as- See: ad-.
asc- or asci- or asco- [Greek askos bag] bladder, sac, ascus (ascospore).
aster- or astero- or astro- [Greek aster star] star, star-shaped (asteroidea, astrobiology).
asthen- or astheno- [Greek asthenes weak] Denotes weakness or loss of strength (asthenia).
at- See: ad-.
atel- or atelo- [Greek atelos imperfect, defective] Imperfect, incomplete, developmental or structural defect (atelopodia, atelorachidia).
ater- or atri- or atro- [Latin ater black, dark] Black, dark (atriceps).
atm- or atmo- [Greek atmos vapor] Air, vapor (atmosphere).
athero- [atheroma form Greek athera gruel (atheromas are filled with a substance like gruel] Soft (atherosclerosis).
atlant- or atlanto- [Latin atlant- atlas] Pertaining to the atlas (altantad).
atri- or atrio- [Latin atrium the main room of a Roman house] Relating to an atrium, usually of a heart (atrioventricular).
attico- [Greek attikos upper part] Denotes the tympanic attic (atticitis).
atto- [Danish atten eighteen] 10-18 (attomole).
audio- [Latin audire to hear] (1) hearing (audiology); (2) sound (audiospectrometer).
aur- or auri- or auro- [Latin aurum gold] Gold, gold-colored (auric).
auri- or auricul- or auriculo- [Latin auris ear] (1) relating to the ear, earlike (Primula auricula ); (2) relating to the auricula of the ear.
austral- or australo- [Latin australis southern] Southern (australopithecine).
aut- or auto- [Greek autos same, self] Self (autolysis, automaton).
aux- or auxo- [Greek auxeine to increase] Growth, increase (auxin, auxocyte).
avi- [Latin avis bird] Bird (aviculture).
ax- or axo- [Greek axon axle] Axis (axon).
axill- or axillo- [Latin axilla side, armpit] Armpit (axillobifemoral).
az- or azo- [a- + Greek zoe life; referring to the insufficiency of nitrogen alone to sustain life] (1) containing nitrogen (2) containing the group N=N bonded to carbon on both ends (azobenzene).