macro large, great macroevolution large scale evolution; macromolecule a large molecule; macroeconomics study of the overall forces of economy.
magn/a/i
magn/a/i great, large magnify make larger; magnificent grand; magnate a powerful person, especially in business or industry.
mal/e
mal/e bad, ill, wrong malcontent wrong content; malaria bad air, infectious disease thought to originate from the bad air of the swamps, but caused by the bite of an infected mosquito; malicious showing strong ill will.
man/i/u
man/i/u hand maneuver to move by hand; manual done with the hands; manuscript a book written by hand.
mand
mand to order command an order or instruction; demand a hard-to-ignore order; mandate an official order.
mania
mania madness, insanity, excessive desire bibliomania a crazy love of books; egomania a mad love of oneself; maniac an insane person.
mar/i
mar/i sea marina a harbor for pleasure boats; maritime relating to the sea; submarine an undersea boat; aquamarine color of sea water.
mater,
mater, matr/i mother maternal relating to motherhood; maternity the state of being a mother; matriarch a woman head of a household.
max
max greatest maximal the best or greatest possible; maximize to make as great as possible; maximum the greatest amount.
medi
medi middle medieval pertaining to the Middle Ages; medium in the middle; mediocre only of medium (inferior) quality.
mega
mega great, large, million megalopolis an area with many nearby cities; megaphone a device that projects a loud voice; megastructure huge building or other structure.
melan/o
melan/o black melancholy a state of dark emotions; melanoma malignant dark tumor of the skin; melodrama a dark, pathetic drama.
memor/i
memor/i remember commemorate to honor the memory of, as by a ceremony; memorial related to remembering a person or event; memory: an ability to retain knowledge or an individuals stock of retained knowledge.
merge,
merge, mers dip, dive immerge or immerse to put or dip something into a liquid; submerge to dip something completely into wate.r
meso
meso middle Mesoamerica Middle America; meson elementary particle with a mass between an electron and a proton.
meta
meta change, after, beyond, between metaphysics study of nature and reality; metamorphosis a complete change of form; metastasis the transmission of disease to other parts of the body.
meter,
meter, metr/y measure audiometer- an instrument that measures hearing acuteness; chronometer- an instrument that measures time; metric measured.
micro
micro very small, short, minute microbe a very small living thing; microchip a tiny wafer with an integrated circuit; microscope a device to see very small things.
mid
mid middle midriff the area between the chest and the waist; midterm middle of a term in school; midway halfway between.
migr
migr move immigrant a person who moves to a new country to settle; migrant person who moves from place to place; migration the process of moving.
milli
milli onethousandth millimeter one thousandth of a meter; millibar one thousandth of a bar; milliliter one thousandth of a liter.
min/i
min/i small, less mini something that is very small; minuscule extremely tiny; minutiae very small or trivial details.
mis/o
mis/o bad, badly, wrong, wrongly, to hate misbehave to behave badly; misprint an error in printing; misnomer an error in naming a person or thing.
miss,
miss, mit send, let go dismiss to send someone away; missile a weapon sent into the air; emit to send something out; admittance entry.
mob
mob move immobilize to stop from moving; mobile able to move freely; mobility the quality of being able to move.
mon/o
mon/o one, single, alone monochromat having one color; monologue a speech spoken by one person; monotheism belief in one god.
mot,
mot, mov move motion the act of moving; motivate to move someone to action; promote to move someone forward; removable able to be taken or carried away.
morph/o
morph/o form metamorphosis complete change of form; endorphins chemical in the brain able to transform pain; amorphous without distinct shape or form.
mort
mort death immortal living forever, unable to die; mortal certain to die; mortician an undertaker.
multi
multi many, more than one or two multicolored having many colors; multimedia using a range of media; multitasking doing many things at once.
mut
mut change immutable not changing; mutant an organism that has undergone change; mutate to undergo a change.
my/o
my/o muscle myocardium the middle muscle of the heart; myasthenia muscle fatigue or weakness; myosin common protein in muscle tissue.