Common Roots

Root: adeno (gland) = ah +dee+ no

Medical Term:
adenoma (gland tumor)

Greek (aden) Everyday Usage: adenoids

Word Association:
gland, sweat gland, sweaty dinosaur, a dino, adeno



Root: calculi (stone) = cal + cue + lie
Medical Term: calculosis (stones)

Latin (calculi; meaning pebble) Everyday Use Calculator

Word Association:
stone, counting stones, math, calculus, calculi

Root: cele (tumor, cyst; hernia) = sell

Medical Term: hydrocele (water cyst, tumor)

Greek (kele; tumor, swelling) Everyday Usage: celestial (heavenly)

Word Association:
tumor, two more, sale, cele

Root: cyto (cell) = sigh + toe

Medical Term: cytology (cells, study of)

Greek (kytos; cell)

cell, jail cell, the hole, site, hole, cyto

Root: glyco (sweet, sugar) = gl + eye + co

Medical Term: glycosuria (sugar in the urine)

Greek (glyks)

sugar, doughnut, "O", gee like "O", glyco

Root: homeo, homo (similar, same, like) = hoe+me +oh

Medical Term: homeostasis (same environment)

Greek (hemores; similar) = homogenize

same, same home, home, homeo

Root: lingua (tongue) = ling + wha

Medical Term: linguiform (tongue-shaped)

Latin (linguae; tonguelike) linguistic

tongue, eat, pasta, linguini, lingua

Root: lip (fat) = lip

Medical Term: lipoma (fat tumor)

Greek (lipos; fat)

fat, fatty, fatty food, passes through your lips, lips

Root: lith (stone) = lith as in fifth

Medical Term: lithotripsy (stone dissolve)

Greek (lithos; stone) Everyday Use: monolith

stone, speaking with stones in your mouth, lisp, lith

Root: madaro (falling hair) = ma + dare + oh

Medical Term: madarosis (loss of eyelashes or eyebrows)

Greek (falling)

falling hair, hair cut, sharp cut, arrow, mad arrow, madaro

Root: psych (mind) = sike

Medical Term: psycho (mind; study of psychology; mental processes)

Greek (psyche; mind) Everyday Use: psycho

mind, circuit, cycle, psych

Root: pyo (pus) = pie + oh

Medical Term: pyogenic (pus producing)
Greek (pyon; pus)

pus, yellow ooze, yellow, lemon, lemon pie, pie, pyo

Root: radi (rays) = ray + dee

Medical Term: radiology (rays, study of)

Latin (radius; rays) Everyday Use: radiation

rays, 4 letters, d is 4th letter, ray + d, radi

Root: thermic (heat) = ther + mick

Medical Term: thermobiosis (exists at high temperature)

Greek (therme; heat) Everyday Use: thermostat

heat, temperature, thermometer, thermic

Root: arthro (joint) = are + throw

Medical Term: arthritis (joint inflammation)

Greek (arthron; joint)

joint, arm bend, throw, r + throw, arthro

Root: carpo (wrist) = car + poe

Medical Term: carpoptosis (wrist dropping)

Greek (karpos; wrist bones) Everyday Use: carpenter

wrist, drive car with wrists, carpool, carpo

Root: chondro (cartilage) = con + droh

Medical Term: chondromalacia (cartilage, soft)

Greek (chondros; cartilage)

cartilage, cart, apart, apartment, condo, chondro

Root: costa (rib) = cost + uh

Medical Term: intercostal (between ribs)

Latin (costae; rib)

rib, buying ribs, cost, costa

Root: cranio (skull) = crane +knee + oh

Medical Term: craniotomy (skull incision)

Greek (kranion)

skull, houses brain, rhymes with brain, crane, cranio

Root: dactyl (finger) = dact + till

Medical Term: dactylitis (finger inflammation)

Greek (daktylos; finger)

finger, web fingers, duck, duck tail, dactyl

Root: ili (hip) = ill + lee

Medical Term: iliosacral (ilium and sacrum)

Latin (ilium; flank)

hip, cool, temperature, ill, ill + e ili

Root: manus (hand) = man + us

Medical Term: manicure (hand care)

Latin (manus; hand) Everyday Use: manual

hand, help, man (verb), manus

Root: myel (bone marrow) = my + el

Medical Term: myeloma (marrow tumor)

Greek (myelos; marrow)

marrow, tomorrow, distance, mile, myel

Root: myo (muscle) = my + oh

Medical Term: myoedema (muscle swelling)

Greek (mys; muscle)

muscle, contract, spread, mayonnaise, mayo, myo

Root: ortho (straighten) = or + thoh

Medical Term: orthopedic (concerning deformities)

Greek (orthos; straight) Everyday Use: Orthodox

straighten, hammer, Thor, or Thor, ortho

Root: osteo (bone) = ah + stee + oh

Medical Term: osteoplast (bone surgery)

Greek (osteon; bone)

bone, shell, oyster, osteo

Root: pedi (foot) = pee + dee

Medical Term: pedicure (foot care)

Latin (pes; foot) Everyday Use: pedal

foot, pedal, pedia

Root: spondyl (vertebra) = spawn + dill

Medical Term: spondylitis (vertebrae inflammation)

Greek (spondylos; vertebra)

vertebra, spine, spin, spindle, spondyl