24 PART 1
A STUDY TABLE 3-1 COMMON PREFIXES (co nt inued)
Prefix Meaning
en-, endo- inside
epi- upon, subsequent to
ex-, exo- outside
extra- beyond
hemi-, semi- half
hyper- above, beyond normal
hypo- below, below normal
infra- inside or below
inter- between
intra- inside
macro- big
meso- middle
meta- beyond
micro- small
mono-, uni- one
neo- new
oligo- a few
pan- everywhere
para- alongside, like
post- after
quadri- four
retro- backward, behind
tachy- abnormally high rate of speed
tri- three
c Exercises
Exercise 3-1 Adding Prefixes of Time or Speed
Add each prefix in the list below to the word appearing next to it and write the definition of
the word thus formed in the space to the right, referring to a standard English dictionary if you
need to.
Prefix Word Word Formed Meaning
1. ante- room ______________________ ______________________
2. brady- seismic ______________________ ______________________
3. neo- classic ______________________ ______________________
4. post- glacial ______________________ ______________________
5. pre- dominant ______________________ ______________________
6. tachy- meter ______________________ ______________________
CHAPTER 3 COMMON PREFIXES 25
Exercises
Exercise 3-2 Adding Prefixes of Direction
Add each prefix in the list below to the word appearing next to it and write the definition of the
word thus formed in the space to the right, referring to a standard English dictionary if you need to.
Prefix Word Word Formed Meaning
1. ab- normal ______________________ ______________________
2. ad- joining ______________________ ______________________
3. con- centric ______________________ ______________________
4. contra- lateral ______________________ ______________________
5. dia- gram ______________________ ______________________
6. sym- pathetic ______________________ ______________________
7. syn- thesis ______________________ ______________________
Exercises
Exercise 3-3 Adding Prefixes of Position
Add each prefix in the list below to the word or word part appearing next to it and write the
definition of the word thus formed in the space to the right, referring to a standard English dic-
tionary if you need to.
Prefix Word Word Formed Meaning
1. ec- centric ______________________ ______________________
2. ecto- morph ______________________ ______________________
3. en- slave ______________________ ______________________
4. endo- cardial ______________________ ______________________
5. epi- demic ______________________ ______________________
6. ex- centric ______________________ ______________________
7. exo- sphere ______________________ ______________________
8. extra- terrestrial ______________________ ______________________
9. hyper- sensitive ______________________ ______________________
10. hypo- thesis ______________________ ______________________
11. infra- structure ______________________ ______________________
12. inter- collegiate ______________________ ______________________
13. intra- mural ______________________ ______________________
14. meso- sphere ______________________ ______________________
15. meta- physics ______________________ ______________________
16. pan- orama ______________________ ______________________
17. para- legal ______________________ ______________________
18. retro- rocket ______________________ ______________________
26 PART 1
Exercises
Exercise 3-4 Adding Prefixes of Size or Number
Add each prefix in the list below to the word appearing next to it and write the definition of
the word thus formed in the space to the right, referring to a standard English dictionary if you
need to.
Prefix Word Word Formed Meaning
1. bi- annual ______________________ ______________________
2. hemi- sphere ______________________ ______________________
3. macro- cosm ______________________ ______________________
4. micro- scope ______________________ ______________________
5. mono- rail ______________________ ______________________
6. olig- archy ______________________ ______________________
7. quadri- lateral ______________________ ______________________
8. semi- annual ______________________ ______________________
9. tri- angle ______________________ ______________________
10. uni- cycle ______________________ ______________________
Pre-Quiz Checklist
_____ Review the four categories of prefixes: time or speed, direction, position, size or
number.
_____ Review the study table.
_____ Check your answers to the exercises with those given in the Appendix and cor-
rect any errors before attempting the quiz.
CHAPTER 3 COMMON PREFIXES 27
Chapter Quiz
For each of the following questions or statements, write the answers in the spaces to the right.
1. The prefixes ab- and ad- are opposites; which one 1. _____________________________
means “toward”?
2. The prefix pre- means “before”; what other prefix 2. _____________________________
means the same thing?
3. Write a brief definition of bradycardia. 3. _____________________________
_____________________________
_____________________________
4. What does the prefix extra- mean in the word 4. _____________________________
extrasensory?
5. What prefix would you use in a term that means 5. _____________________________
“high blood pressure”?
6. Given the meaning of anti-, what would be the 6. _____________________________
purpose of anticollision radar? _____________________________
7. Given the meaning of the prefix tri-, how many 7. _____________________________
engines does a trijet have?
8. Does the prefix micro- refer to the physical size of a 8. _____________________________
microscope? If not, what does its presence in the _____________________________
word tell us? _____________________________
_____________________________
9. Write a medical term by combining the prefix 9. _____________________________
endo- with the root cardi/o, meaning “heart,” and _____________________________
the suffix that means “inflammation.” Using only _____________________________
your knowledge of these three word elements, _____________________________
write the best definition you can for the term. _____________________________
10. The suffix -pnea, meaning “breathing” or 10. _____________________________
“respiration,” can follow both tachy- and _____________________________
dys-. Define the terms tachypnea and _____________________________
dyspnea. _____________________________
_____________________________
_____________________________
_____________________________
