Color, Number and Measurement Prefixes

Color Prefixes

  • Red:
    • Prefixes: erythr/o-, ruber/o, rhod/o-, eosin (rose red)
    • Examples: erythro/cyte (red/cell), rubr/o/sis (red/condition), rhodo/gen/esis (red/development/condition), eosin/ophil (rose red stain/love of)
  • White:
    • Prefixes: albus, leuc/o-, leuk/o
    • Examples: albin/oid (white/resembles), album/ino (white serum), leuk/emia (white/blood cells)
  • Brown:
    • Prefix: fulvus
    • Example: fulv/o/sis (brown/condition)
  • Blue:
    • Prefixes: cyan/o-, livid/o
    • Examples: cyan/o/sis (blue/condition), livid/ous (blue/state of)
  • Black:
    • Prefixes: melan/o-, nigra
    • Examples: melan/oma (black tumor)
  • Gray:
    • Prefixes: glauc/o, cinerous, polio
    • Examples: glauc/oma (gray/swelling), polio/myel/itis (gray/spinal cord/inflammation)
  • Purple:
    • Prefixes: purpur/o, porphyr/o
    • Example: purpur/ic (pertaining to purple/refers to)
  • Yellow:
    • Prefixes: cirrh/o-, flavus, xanth/o-, luteo-
    • Examples: cirrho/sis (yellow/condition), xanth/emia (yellow/blood)
  • Rose:
    • Prefix: eosin/o-
    • Example: eosino/phil (rose colored blood cell/love for)
  • Green:
    • Prefixes: chlor/o-, viridis
    • Example: chlor/o/phyll (green-plant foliage)
  • Scarlet:
    • Prefixes: coccideus, crimson
    • Examples: coccidia (berry-color protozoa/refers to); crimson/ate (scarlet/state of)
  • Violet:
    • Prefix: violaceous
    • Example: violac/eous (skin violet-purple/state of)
  • Lemon:
    • Prefix: citreum
    • Example: citr/eum (lemon or citric acid fruits/state of)
  • Pink:
    • Prefix: rosaceus
    • Example: rosacea (red skin/state of)

Number Prefixes

  • One:
    • Latin: uni-
    • Greek: mon-, mono-
  • Two:
    • Latin: bin-, bi-, duo-, co-
    • Greek: di-, diplo-, dy-, dyo-
  • Three:
    • Latin: tri-
    • Greek: tri-
  • Four:
    • Latin: quadr-, quadri-
    • Greek: tetr-, tetra-
  • Five:
    • Latin: quinqu-
    • Greek: pent-, penta-
  • Six:
    • Latin: sex-
    • Greek: hex-, hexa-
  • Seven:
    • Latin: sept-, septi-
    • Greek: hept-, hepta-
  • Eight:
    • Latin: octo-
    • Greek: octo-, octa-, oct-
  • Nine:
    • Latin: novem-, ninus-
    • Greek: ennea-
  • Ten:
    • Latin: decem-, deca-
    • Greek: dek-, deka-
  • First:
    • Latin: primi-
    • Greek: proto-, prot-
  • Second:
    • Latin: secundi-, secondo-
    • Greek: duet-, deuto-, deutero-
  • Third:
    • Latin: tert-, terti-
    • Greek: trito-, trit-

Measurement Prefixes

  • centi-: one-hundredth part
  • milli-: one-thousandth part
  • kilo-: one thousand
  • semi-, hemi-: one half
  • sesqui-: one and one half
  • hyper-: over, above, excess
  • hypo-: under, below
  • multi-, poly-: many
  • macro-: large
  • micro-: small
  • deci-: one-tenth
  • deca-: ten
  • centa-: one hundred
  • kilo-: one thousand
  • mega-: one million (1×106)(1 \times 10^6)
  • micro-: one millionth (1×10−6)(1 \times 10^{-6})
  • giga-: one billion (1×109)(1 \times 10^9)
  • nano-: one billionth (1×10−9)(1 \times 10^{-9})
  • pico-: one trillionth (1×10−12)(1 \times 10^{-12})
  • femto-: one quadrillionth (1×10−15)(1 \times 10^{-15})