English Vocabulary in Use - 88 Word-building and word-blending

auto-

self

autonomous (region)

self-ruling

bio-

life, living things

biodegradable

able to decay naturally

cyber-

relating to computers and robots

cybercafé

café where customers can use computers and the internet

de-

opposite action

demotivate

make someone feel less interested and enthusiastic about something

mono-

single, one

monocycle

cycle with just one wheel

-graph

writing

monograph

long article or short book on a single subject that the writer has studied for a long time

-gress-

step, walk, go

congress

a conference, i.e. a meeting where people come together

-ics

an area of study or knowledge

obstetrics

the study of pregnancy and childbirth

-phon-

sound

phonetics

the study of human speech sounds

-ology

study

criminology

the study of crime and criminals

pre-

before

post-

after

prepaid tickets

tickets paid for in advance

retro-

back, backwards

retroactive law

taking effect from a date in the past

techno-

relating to advanced machines

technophobia

fear of using technology such as computers

tele-

over a distance

telepathic experience

feeling something from a distance

brunch

a meal that is a combination of breakfast and lunch

heliport

a place where helicopters can land and take off (helicopter + airport)

smog

polluted fog (smoke + fog)

motel

a roadside hotel for people travelling by car (motor + hotel)

webinar

a seminar delivered over the internet via a designated website (web + seminar)

guesstimate

an approximate calculation (guess + estimate; verb = to guesstimate)

docudrama

TV programme that dramatises real historical events (documentary + drama)

breathalyser

a device to find out how much alcohol a person has drunk (breath + analyse)