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Index to letter A

a-1

Not or without.

a-2

Towards, of, in, into or at; marking some ongoing process or state; movement onwards or away.

-a1

Forming singular words of various types.

-a2

The plural of certain nouns of Latin or Greek origin.

-a3

Informal terms in spoken English.

ab-

Off, away, or from.

abdomino-

The abdomen.

-able

Able to be.

-ac

Forming adjectives and nouns.

acantho-

Spiny or thorny.

acaro-

A mite or tick.

-acea

Groups of animals.

-aceae

Families of seed-bearing plants.

-aceous

Forming adjectives.

aceto-

Acetic acid or the acetyl group.

acido-

Acid; sharp or sour.

-acious

Inclined to, given to, or having as a capacity.

acousto-

Sound or hearing.

acro-

A tip, height, or extremity.

acrylo-

Acrylic.

actino-

A ray or beam.

-acusis

A condition of the hearing.

ad-

Motion or direction to; reduction or change into; addition, increase, or intensification.

-ad1

Collective numerals; nymphs.

-ad2

Indicating a direction towards some part of the body.

-ade

Denoting an action, its result, or something associated with it.

adeno-

A gland.

adipo-

Fat or fatty tissues.

-ado

Forming a variety of words based on Portuguese, Spanish, or Italian originals.

adreno-

The adrenal glands.

-ae

Forming plurals.

-aemia

A substance present in the blood, especially in excess.

aero-

Air or another gas; the atmosphere; aircraft.

afore-

Before or previously.

Afro-

Africa; African and …

-age

Forming nouns.

-agogue

Leading or promoting.

-agra

Pain in some part of the body.

agro-

Farming; cultivation.

-aholic

A person excessively fond of something.

-aire

A person characterized by or linked to the idea in the stem.

-al1

Forming adjectives and some nouns.

-al2

An aldehyde.

alb-

White or bright.

aldo-

An aldehyde.

-ales

Orders of plants.

-algia

Pain, usually in a specified part of the body.

algo-

Pain.

-alia

A collection or group.

allo-

Other; different.

alumino-

Aluminium.

ambi-

On both sides; around.

amido-

The CONH2- group in chemical compounds.

amino-

The amine group, NH2—.

amnio-

The amnion.

amphi-

Variously two, both, on both sides, or around.

amylo-

Starch.

ana-

Variously up, back, or again.

-ana

Things associated with a person, place, or field of interest.

-ance

A state or quality; a process or action.

-and

A person or thing to be treated in a specified way.

andro-

Male or maleness.

-androus

Maleness.

-ane1

Saturated straight-chain (aliphatic) hydrocarbons.

-ane2

Forming adjectives.

anemo-

The wind.

angio-

Blood or seed vessels.

-angium

A container.

Anglo-

English or British; English or British and …

aniso-

Unequal, asymmetrical, dissimilar.

ankylo-

Bent or crooked; stiff or fixed.

-ant

Forming adjectives and nouns.

ante-

Before or preceding.

antero-

Nearer the front of the body; forward in time.

antho-

A flower or flowers.

anthraco-

Coal or carbon; a carbuncle.

anthropo-

Human, or of a human being.

-anthropy

Human, or humankind.

anti-

Acting against, resisting, or opposing something; the opposite or reverse of something.

apico-

A point or apex.

apo-

Away from; separate from.

apres-

A period following some activity.

aqua-

Water.

-ar1

Forming adjectives.

-ar2

Forming nouns.

arachno-

A spider or spiders.

arbori-

A tree or trees.

arch-

Chief; principal; pre-eminent of its kind.

archaeo-

Ancient or prehistoric times.

-archy

Government; rule of a particular type; a chief or ruler.

-ard

Forming nouns.

areo-

The planet Mars.

argento-

Silver.

-arian

Forming adjectives and corresponding nouns.

-arious

Connected with; pertaining to.

-arium

A place or container connected with, or employed for, some purpose.

arseno-

Arsenic.

arterio-

An artery.

arthro-

A joint.

-ary1

Forming nouns.

-ary2

Forming adjectives.

asco-

A bag or sac.

-ase

An enzyme.

-asis

A disease or other medical condition.

-ast

A person connected with a pursuit or activity.

-aster

Inferior; a poor imitation.

astro-

A star or other celestial body; outer space; star-shaped.

-ate1

Forming nouns.

-ate2

Forming adjectives.

-ate3

Forming verbs.

athero-

An atheroma.

-athon

An event long in duration, usually for fund-raising purposes.

-ati

Groups of people.

-atic

Forming adjectives, and some nouns.

-atile

Possibility, potential, or ability.

-ation

An action, or an instance of an action.

-ative

Characteristic or predisposed.

atto-

In units of measurement, a factor of 10-18.

audio-

Hearing or sound.

auri-

Gold.

Austro-1

Austria; Austria and …

Austro-2

Australia; Australia and …; southern.

auto-1

Self; oneself; by itself.

auto-2

An automobile or motor vehicle.

auxo-

Growth or increase.

avi-

A bird or birds; flight.

axo-

An axis.

azo-

Nitrogen; the chemical radical -N=N-.

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