It's Greek To Me!

Greek and Latin Prefixes, Roots and Suffixes used in English
This page © 1999 by Nicholas E. Miller


Basic term

Meaning

Greek
Latin
Prefix
Suffix

helio, heli

sun

Yes, originally
Yes, later
Yes
.

Examples

Definition

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aphelion (3)

(noun) - away from + sun = the farthest point in the path of a celestial body, such as a planet, from its sun. The plural is aphelia.

garden heliotrope (3)

(noun) - garden + sun + changeable = a tall flower, Valeriana officinalis, popular for its tiny fragrant flowers and for its valerian drug-yielding roots.

heliocentric (3)

(adj.) - sun + center = a sun centered system, relating the sun as the center of all or measuring things from the sun.

heliograph (4)

(noun) - sun + write = a device for signaling by means of the sun's rays flashed from a mirror. Heliograph is also a verb.

heliolatry (5)

(noun) - sun + service = sun worship. Heliolatrous is the adjective form.

heliometer (5)

(noun) - sun + measure = an optical telescope used for measuring the apparent diameter of the sun, measuring angles between celestial bodies and between points on the moon. Heliometric is the adjective form and heliometrically is the adverb form.

heliostat (5)

(noun) - sun + one that causes to stand = a device with a mirror moved by clockwork which causes a sunbeam to be steadily reflected in one direction.

heliotrope (3)

(noun) - sun + changeable = herbs or shrubs of the genus Heliotropium; bloodstone, a green chalcedony sprinkled with red blood-like spots.

heliozoan (5)

(noun) - sun + living being = Heliozoa, a class of holozoic freshwater protozoans that reproduce by binary fission or budding.