| Root | Meaning in English | Origin language | Etymology (root origin) | English examples |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ba- [1] (ΒΑ [2] ) | to step | Greek | βαίνειν (baínein), βατός (batós), βάσις (básis), βῆμα, βήματος (bêma, bḗmatos), βάτης (bátēs), βάθρον (báthron), βατεῖν | acrobat, acrobatic, adiabatic, aerobatic, anabasis, anabatic, antiparabema, base, basic, basidiocarp, basidioma, basidiomycete, basidiospore, basidium, basion, basionym, basis, basophilic, bema, catabasis, catabatic, diabase, diabatic, diabetes, diabetic, dibasic, hyperbaton, hypobasis, katabasis, katabatic, monobasic, polybasic, stereobate, stylobate, tribasic |
| bac- | rod-shaped | Latin | baculum | baculiform, baculum, bacteria |
| bal-, bel-, bol- (ΒΑΛ [3] ) | throw | Greek | βάλλειν (bállein), βολή (bolḗ), βλῆμα (blêma) | ametabolic, ametabolism, amphibole, amphibolic, amphibolite, amphibolous, amphiboly, anabolic, anabolism, astrobleme, ball, ballism, ballista, ballistic, ballistospore, belomancy, belonephobia, bolide, bolometer, catabolic, catabolism, devil, diabolic, emblem, emblematic, embolic, embolism, embolismic, embolize, embolon, embolus, emboly, hemiballismus, holometabolism, hyperbola, hyperbole, hyperbolic, hyperboloid, metabolic, metabolism, metabolite, metabolize, palaver, parable, parabola, parabolic, paraboloid, parle, parley, parol, parole, problem, problematic, symbol, symbolic, symbolism, symbolist, symbolize, symbology, taurobolium, thromboembolism |
| bapt- (ΒΑΦ [4] ) | dip | Greek | βάπτειν (báptein), βάμμα (bámma) | abaptiston, Anabaptist, baptism, baptize |
| bar- [5] | weight, pressure | Greek | βαρύς (barús), βάρος (báros) | abarognosis, antibaryon, baresthesia, bariatric, baritone, barognosis, barogram, barograph, barometer, barometric, barophobia, barostat, barycentre, barycentric, baryogenesis, baryon, barysphere, baryton, barytone, hyperbaric, hypobaric, isobar, isobaric |
| bas- | step | Greek | βάσις | |
| bath- | deep, depth | Greek | βαθύς (bathús), βάθος (báthos) | batholith, bathophobia, bathos, bathymetry, bathyscaphe, bathysphere, isobathic |
| be-, beat- | bless | Latin | beare , beatus | beatification |
| bell-, belli- | war | Latin | bellum , belli | antebellum, bellicose, belligerent, rebellion |
| ben- | good, well | Latin | bene (adverb) | beneficence, benefit, benevolent, benign, benignant, benignity |
| bet- | B, b | Greek | beta | alphabet, alphabetic, analphabetic, panalphabetic, polyalphabetic |
| bi-, bin-, bis- | two | Latin | bis , "twice"; bini , "in twos" | bicycle, biennial, bifocal, bisexual, bigamy, binary, binoculars, bipod bipolar biscotti |
| bib- | drink | Latin | bibere , bibitus | bib, beer, beverage, imbibe |
| bibl- [6] | book | Greek | βίβλος (bíblos), βιβλίον (biblíon) "book" | bible, biblioclasm, biblioclast, bibliogony, bibliographic, bibliography, biblioklept, bibliomancy, bibliomania, bibliophile, bibliophilia, bibliophobe, bibliophobia, bibliotaph |
| bio-, bi- [7] | life | Greek | βιοῦν (bioûn), βίος (bíos) "life", βιωτός (biōtós), βιωτικός (biōtikós), βίωσις (bíōsis) | abiogenesis, abiotic, aerobiology, anhydrobiosis, anoxybiosis, antibiotic, astrobiology, autobiography, biocentrism, biochron, biocoenosis, biogenesis, biographic, biography, biologism, biologist, biology, biome, biometric, biomorph, biomorphism, biophilia, biophysicist, biophysics, biopoiesis, biopolymer, biopsy, biorhythm, biosemiotic, biosphere, biostasis, biosynthesis, biota, biotic, biotin, biotope, biotype, biozone, chemobiosis, cryobiosis, cryptobiosis, ectosymbiosis, endosymbiont, endosymbiosis, enterobiasis, exobiology, macrobiotic, microbiology, osmobiosis, probiotic, symbiogenesis, symbiology, symbiont, symbiosis, symbiotic |
| blast- [8] | germ, embryo, bud, cell with nucleus | Greek | βλαστάνειν (blastánein), "to sprout, bud", βλαστός (blastós), βλάστημα (blástēma) | blastema, blastochyle, blastocoel, blastocoele, blastocyst, blastoderm, blastoma, blastula, cytotrophoblast, diploblasty, ectoblast, endoblast, entoblast, fibroblast, osteoblast, sideroblast |
| blenn- | slime | Greek | βλέννος (blénnos) | blennadenitis, blennophobia, blennosperma, blennorrhagia |
| bol- | throw | Greek | ||
| bol- [9] | clod, lump | Greek | βῶλος (bôlos) | bole, bolus, embolism |
| bomb- [10] | boom | Greek | βομβεῖν , βόμβος, βόμβησις | bomb, bound |
| bon- | good | Latin | bonus | bonify, bonitary |
| bore- | north | Latin from Greek | borealis "northern" from Βορέας (Boréas) "the north wind" | borealis |
| botan- | plant | Greek | βοτάνη , βότανον (botánē, bótanon), βοτανικός | botanic, botanist, botanology, botany |
| bov-, bu- | cow, ox | Latin | bos (genitive bovis) "ox, cow" | beef, boor, bovine, bucinator muscle |
| brachi-, brachio- | arm | Latin from Greek | bracchium | brachiferous, brachial artery, brachiocubital |
| brachi-, brachio-, brachion-, brachioni- | arm | Greek | βραχίων (brakhíōn) | brachialgia, brachionerysipelas, brachionigraph, brachiorrhachidian, Brachiosaurus |
| brachy- [11] | short | Greek | βραχύς (brakhús) | amphibrach, brachistochrone, brachycephaly, brachydactyly, brachyury, dibrach, tribrach |
| brady-, bradys- [12] | slow | Greek | βραδύς (bradús), βράδος (brádos) | bradycardia, bradysuria, bradytelic |
| branchi- | gill | Greek | βράγχιον (bránkhion) | branchiopneustic, branchiopod, nudibranch |
| broc- | rain, wet | Greek | ἐμβροχή (embrokhḗ) | embrocation, embrocate |
| brev- | brief, short (time) | Latin | brevis , breviare | abbreviate, brevextensor, brevicaudate, brevity, brief |
| bromat-, bromato-, broma-, bromo- | food | Greek | βρῶμα (brôma) | bromatium, bromateccrisis, bromatherapy, bromatology, bromography |
| brom- [13] | oats | Greek | βρόμος ,βρόμη (brómos, brómē) "oats" | brome, Bromus , Bromus ramosus |
| brom- | stench | Greek | βρῶμος (brômos) "stench, clangor" | bromate, bromide, bromine, bromoderma, organobromine |
| bronch- [14] | windpipe | Greek | βρόγχος (brónkhos), βρόγχια (brónkhia) | bronchia, bronchiole, bronchion, bronchitis, bronchomalacia, bronchopneumonia, bronchus, tracheobronchomalacia |
| bront- [15] | thunder | Greek | βροντή (brontḗ) | brontology, brontophobia, Brontosaurus |
| brot- [16] | mortal | Greek | βροτός (brotós) | ambrosia, ambrotype |
| bucc- | cheek, mouth, cavity | Latin | bucca | buccal, buccilingual, buccolingual |
| bulb- | bulbous | Latin | bulbus | bulbiform, bulbiparous, bulboartrial, bulborrhexis, bulbous, bulbule |
| bull- | bubble, flask | Latin | bullire , bulla | bullectomy, bulliferous, ebullient, ebullism |
| burs- | pouch, purse | Latin | bursa | bursa, bursalogy, bursar, bursary, bursectomy, bursiform, disburse |
| butyr- [17] | butter | Greek | βούτυρον (boúturon) | butyric |
| byss- [18] | bottom | Greek | βυσσός, βυσσοῦ (bussós, bussoû) | abyss, abyssopelagic, hypabyssal |
| byss- [19] | flax | Greek | βύσσος (bússos) | byssus |