Zoology/Suffixes and Prefixes

Zoology, like all sciences, uses quite a lot of terminology taken from the Latin and Greek languages. These can be unfamiliar terms.

This list is an attempt at a glossary of prefixes and suffixes to assist in learning the terminology.

The list can be used as-is as a reference, or can be copied to your word processor, increased a bit in size, and printed to be cut and pasted onto home-made flash cards.

Prefixes

 * 1) a : without, lack of
 * 2) ab : away from
 * 3) ad : toward, to, near
 * 4) ambi : both
 * 5) amphi : both
 * 6) ampho : both
 * 7) an : without, lack of
 * 8) ana : up, toward, apart
 * 9) ante : before, in front of backward
 * 10) anti : against, opposing
 * 11) apo : separation from, derived from
 * 12) auto : self
 * 13) bi : two, double, twice
 * 14) cata : down, under, lower, against
 * 15) circum : around
 * 16) co : with, together
 * 17) com : with, together
 * 18) con : with, together
 * 19) contra : opposed, against
 * 20) di : two, twice
 * 21) dia : between, through, apare, acress, completely
 * 22) dis : apart from, free from
 * 23) dys : difficult, painful, abnormal
 * 24) e : out of, from away from
 * 25) ec : out of, from away from
 * 26) ecto : outer, outside, situated on
 * 27) ee : reverse, remove
 * 28) em : in
 * 29) en : in
 * 30) endo : within, inner
 * 31) ep : upon, on over above
 * 32) epi : upon, on over above
 * 33) eu : normal, good, well, healthy
 * 34) ex : out of, from away from
 * 35) exo : outer, outside, situated on
 * 36) extra : outside of, beyond
 * 37) hemi : half
 * 38) hyper : excessive, above
 * 39) hypo : under, deficient, beneath
 * 40) im : in, into within, not
 * 41) in : in, into within, not
 * 42) infra : below, beneath
 * 43) inter : between
 * 44) intra : within
 * 45) intro : into, within
 * 46) mes : middle
 * 47) meso : middle
 * 48) meta : change, beyond after
 * 49) micro : small
 * 50) multi : many
 * 51) neo : new, recent
 * 52) pan : all, entire
 * 53) para : beside, beyond
 * 54) per : through, excessive
 * 55) peri : around
 * 56) po : before, in front of
 * 57) poly : many, much, excessive
 * 58) post : after, behind
 * 59) pre : before, in front of
 * 60) pseudo : false
 * 61) re : again, backward
 * 62) retro : backward, behind
 * 63) semi : half, partial
 * 64) sub : under, beneath, super, supra
 * 65) sym : together, with
 * 66) syn : together, with
 * 67) trans : across, through
 * 68) ultra : beyond, excess
 * 69) xantho : yellow

Suffixes

 * 1) -ac : pertaining to, relating to
 * 2) -al : pertaining to, relating to
 * 3) -algia : pain
 * 4) -ate : having, resembling, acting upon
 * 5) -cele : protrusion (hernia)
 * 6) -centesis : surgical puncture to remove fluid
 * 7) -cle : small, diminutive
 * 8) -cule : small, diminutive
 * 9) -cyte : cell
 * 10) -ectomy : cutting out
 * 11) -emesis : vomit
 * 12) -emia : blood condition
 * 13) -ent : person or agent
 * 14) -er : person or agent
 * 15) -esis :  state or condition
 * 16) -form : resembling, shaped like
 * 17) -genesis : development, origin
 * 18) -gram : recording, written record
 * 19) -graphy : recording, written record
 * 20) -grapth : instrument that records
 * 21) -iasis :  state or condition
 * 22) -ible : capable, able
 * 23) -ic : pertaining to, relating to
 * 24) -ile : capable, able
 * 25) -is :  state or condition
 * 26) -ism :  state or condition
 * 27) -ist : person or agent
 * 28) -itis : inflammation
 * 29) -ity :  state or condition
 * 30) -ize : use, subject to
 * 31) -logy : science, study of
 * 32) -oid : resembling, shaped like
 * 33) -ola : small, diminutive
 * 34) -ole : small, diminutive
 * 35) -oma : tumor
 * 36) -or : person or agent
 * 37) -osis :  state or condition
 * 38) -ous : pertaining to, relating to
 * 39) -penia : deficiency, lack of
 * 40) -pexis : fixation
 * 41) -pexy : fixation
 * 42) -phage : eating
 * 43) -phagy : eating
 * 44) -phobia : abnormal fear or intolerance
 * 45) -plasia : forming, growing, changing
 * 46) -plastic : forming, growing, changing
 * 47) -plasty : forming, growing, changing
 * 48) -pnea : breathing
 * 49) -rrhaphy : suturing in place
 * 50) -rrhea : flow or discharge
 * 51) -rrhexis : rupture
 * 52) -scope : instrument for examining
 * 53) -scopy : act of examining
 * 54) -sis :  state or condition
 * 55) -stomy : surgical opening
 * 56) -tic : pertaining to, relating to
 * 57) -tion :  state or condition
 * 58) -tome : instrument for cutting
 * 59) -tomy : cutting, incision
 * 60) -ule : small, diminutive
 * 61) -ulum : small, diminutive
 * 62) -ulus : small, diminutive
 * 63) -y :  state or condition