|
 |
| |
Root Word Dictionary
Edited by Eugene M. McCarthy, PhD
Root Word Dictionary is the most comprehensive online dictionary providing meanings for the Greek and Latin root words used in constructing biological and medical terminology. It defines more biomedical roots than any other online source. The list of roots is alphabetical, which lets
By the way: If you're interested in Greek,
Latin, and the classics, you may be interested
in Gene McCarthy's translation of the Epic of
Gilgamesh, a reconstruction of a 5,000-year-old
poem, lost for more than 2,000 years, now
rendered in English and performed by the editor
of this dictionary.
Listen to a sample on iTunes →
|
you look terms up even if you're not sure about their spellings. The index below allows you to find root meanings by clicking on the first letter of the particular root you're looking for. You can also use the automated search engine, which searches the entire root dictionary (recommended if you want to use an English word to look up corresponding Latin and Greek roots).
|
|
|
Using this dictionary
To understand how a particular root word is used in constructing terminology:
-
First look the root word up in the dictionary;
-
Then look up similarly spelled prefixes and suffixes in the prefix and suffix dictionary, which gives examples to show how these roots function in word origins;
-
Next look up the meanings of the example terms given in the prefix and suffix dictionary (most of which are linked to their definitions in the biology dictionary on this site).
Latin and Greek Root Words
The Greek and Latin roots listed in this dictionary are words from which the prefixes and suffixes used in constructing biological terminology are frequently derived. Often, multiple prefixes and suffixes are based on a single root. In general, the components used in constructing scientific terminology and med terms are either of Latin or Greek derivation. In building these terms, scientists have traditionally avoided hybrid terms combining word parts derived from Latin roots with other parts derived from Greek roots (although this rule has not been as strictly followed in recent years).
Notice: The root word finder has been moved to a separate web page. Please click here to access Root Word Dictionary's automated root finder at its new location.
Thanks for using Root Word Dictionary!
|
|
|
