Word |
Meaning |
Notes |
academy |
|
One of many educational and sporting
words from Greek. |
acrobat |
walking on tiptoe |
|
alphabet |
|
The names of the first two Greek letters,
alpha and beta. |
amazon |
without breasts |
A mythical tribe of warrior females. |
amnesia |
without memory |
The letter A at the beginning of a word
means "without". |
anonymous |
without name |
|
antipodes |
opposite feet |
The region of the Earth below one's feet. |
anthropo- |
man |
As in "anthropology" (study of
man). |
anti- |
opposite |
As in "antimatter". |
aracno- |
spider |
As in "arachnophobia" (fear of
spiders). |
aristocrat |
best ruler |
One of many social and political words
from Greek. |
asbestos |
cannot be extinguished |
|
athlete |
contender for prize |
|
attic |
|
Part of a temple. |
Australia |
southern |
Southern hemisphere country. |
auto- |
self |
As in "automatic". |
barbarian |
|
To the Greeks, foreign languages sounded
like "bar bar bar". |
bar- |
weight |
As in "barometer", measure
weight (of air). |
bishop |
|
One of many words in the Christian
religion from Greek. |
buffalo |
|
An animal. |
bio- |
life |
As in "biology" (study life). |
canopy |
mosquito net |
|
cathedral |
seat |
|
catholic |
universal |
|
cemetery |
dormitory |
|
ceramic |
|
|
choreo- |
dance |
As in "chorography" (write
dance). |
chorus |
dance |
A group on a stage that sing or dance. One
of many dramatical or theatrical words from Greek. |
Christ |
anointed |
|
chrono- |
time |
As in "chronology" (study
time). |
cosmos |
all, everyone |
|
crocodile |
|
A large reptile. |
cryo- |
cold |
As in "cryogenics" (create
cold). |
crypto- |
hidden |
As in "cryptology" (study the
hidden). The gas "Krypton" is from the same root. |
cynic |
dog |
|
democracy |
state of the people |
|
dinosaur |
terrible lizard |
|
diploma |
folded in two |
|
dogma |
|
|
drama |
activity |
|
echo |
|
|
economy |
manage a house |
|
ego- |
I |
As in "egocentric" (centred on
self). |
Egypt |
|
North African country. |
epitaph |
over the tomb |
|
Ethiopia |
hot face |
East African country. |
Eucharist |
thanks |
The Christian ceremony of giving thanks. |
Exodus |
going out, exit |
One of the books of the Christian holy
book, the Bible. |
genesis |
beginning |
|
geo- |
earth |
As in "geography" (write about
the Earth). |
-gram |
letter |
As in "telegram" (far letter). |
-graph |
writing |
As in "biography" (life
writing). |
gymnasium |
from "gymnos", naked |
Athletes were traditionally naked. |
gynae- |
woman |
As in "gynaecology" (study
woman). |
gypsy |
|
From the same root as "Egypt". |
helicopter |
spiral wing |
|
helio- |
sun |
As in "helioscope" (see the
Sun). |
hemi- |
half |
As in "hemisphere" (half a
sphere). |
hero |
|
|
hetero- |
different |
As in "heterosexual" (different
sex). |
hippopotamus |
river horse |
|
history |
|
The same root as "story". |
holocaust |
entirely burnt |
|
horizon |
defining |
|
hydro- |
water |
As in "hydrolic", worked by
water. |
idea |
|
|
India |
|
The same root as Hindi, Hindu, Indus, and
Sind. |
isotope |
same place |
|
Istanbul |
in the town |
City in Turkey. |
kilo- |
thousand |
As in "kilogram" (a thousand
grams). |
litho- |
stone |
As in "lithograph" (writing on
stone). |
logarithm |
account, addition |
|
-logy |
study |
As in "geology" (Earth study). |
marathon |
|
Named after a battleground from where a
messenger ran 26 miles (42 km). |
mathematics |
something learnt |
|
martyr |
witness |
|
meander |
From a winding river now in Turkey. |
|
mechanic |
machine |
|
mega- |
big |
As in "megastore". |
melody |
|
|
Mesopotamia |
between the rivers |
Ancient region now part of Iraq. |
-meter |
measure |
As in "thermometer" (measure
heat). |
method |
pursuit of knowledge |
|
metropolis |
mother city |
|
micro- |
small |
As in "microscope" (see small). |
mime |
imitator |
|
monarch |
one who rules alone |
|
moron |
stupid |
|
museum |
home of the muses |
|
myopia |
vision of a mouse |
Short sighted. |
myriad |
ten thousand |
|
mystery |
secret ceremony |
|
Naples |
new city |
City in Italy. The same root as the
Palestinian city, "Nablus". |
nemesis |
|
|
neural |
nerve |
|
-nomy |
laws |
As in "astronomy" (star laws). |
nous |
mind |
|
obelisk |
|
|
ocean |
|
The name of a sea deity. |
Olympic |
|
Named after Olympia and Mount Olympus in
Greece. |
orphan |
|
|
ostracize |
|
Named after pieces of pottery on which
the names of people to be exiled were written. |
paleo- |
old |
As in "paleontology", study old
(fossils). |
pandemonium |
abode of all devils |
|
panic |
terror induced by the god Pan |
|
panorama |
full view |
|
paranoia |
distracted |
|
-philia |
friend |
As in "necrophilia" (friend of
death). |
philo- |
friend |
As in "philosophy" (friend of
wisdom). |
-phobia |
fear |
As in "arachnophobia" (fear of
spiders). |
-phone |
voice |
As in "telephone" (far voice). |
phono- |
voice |
As in "phonetics". |
Phoenician |
purple |
Ancient people - they were famous for
exporting a purple dye. |
photo- |
light |
As in "photograph" (light
writing). |
Pluto |
|
God of death; ninth planet. |
poly- |
many |
As in "polygon", a many sided
figure. |
programme |
public written notice |
|
prophet |
|
|
psalm |
|
|
psycho- |
spirit, soul |
As in "psychology" (study the
spirit). |
pygmy |
fist |
Refering to something the size of a fist. |
pylon |
gate |
|
pyramid |
|
|
python |
|
A large snake. |
rhinoceros |
horned nose |
|
rhythm |
|
|
sarcasm |
speak bitterly |
|
scene |
tent, stage |
|
-scope |
see |
As in "telescope" (see far). |
seismic |
shaking |
|
siphon |
pipe |
|
skeleton |
dried up |
|
sporadic |
scattered seeds |
|
stethoscope |
see the chest |
|
stigma |
mark |
|
strategy |
military general |
|
sycophant |
show figs |
|
symphony |
same sound |
|
synopsis |
same view |
|
syntax |
same arrangement |
|
Syria |
|
Middle East country - from the name of a
tribe. |
tele- |
far |
As in "telephone" (far voice),
"telescope" (seeing far). |
theater, theatre |
|
|
theory |
contemplation |
|
therm- |
heat |
As in "thermometer" (measure
heat). |
thesaurus |
treasure |
|
thesis |
place, position |
|
thorax |
chest |
|
toxic |
arrow |
Poisoned arrows were used in warfare. |
tragedy |
billy goat |
Theatre was originally associated with
worship of the goat-like god, Pan. |
treacle |
|
|
tripod |
three feet |
|
tyrant |
|
|
Uranus |
|
The seventh planet. |
xeno- |
stranger |
As in "xenophobia" (fear of
strangers). |
