B
| Root | Meaning in English | Origin language | Etymology (root origin) | English examples |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| bac- | rod-shaped | Latin | from baculum "rod" | bacilla, bacteria |
| bar- | weight, pressure | Greek | βάρος (baros) | barograph, barometer |
| basi- | at the bottom | Greek | from βαίνω, I walk, march, βάσις "step" | basic, basis |
| bathy-, batho- | deep, depth | Greek | βαθύς (bathús, bathýs) | batholith, bathyscaphe |
| be-, beat- | bless | Latin | beare, beatus | beatification |
| bell- | war | Latin | bellum, belli | antebellum, bellicose, belligerent |
| ben- | good, well | Latin | bene (adverb) | benefit, benignity |
| bi- | two | Latin | bis, "twice"; bini, "in twos" | binary, binoculars, bigamy, biscotti |
| bib- | drink | Latin | bibere, bibitus | imbibe |
| bibl- | book | Greek | βιβλίον (biblíon) "book" | bible, bibliography |
| bio- | life | Greek | βίος (bíos) "life" | biography, biologist, biology, biosphere |
| blenn- | slime | Greek | βλέννος (blennos) | blennophobia, blennosperma |
| blast- | germ, embryo, bud, cell with nucleus | Greek | βλασταίνω (blastainō), "I put forth shoots" | blastula, fibroblast, osteoblast, sideroblast |
| bon- | good | Latin | bonus | bonify, bonitary |
| bor- | north | Greek / Latin (boreas) | Greek βορρᾶς (borras) "the north wind" | borealis |
| botan- | plant | Greek | βοτάνη, βότανον (botanē, botanon) | botany |
| bov- | cow, ox | Latin | bos, bovis | bovine |
| brachi- | arm | Greek | βραχίων (brakhíōn) | brachial artery, brachiosaurus |
| brachy- | short | Greek | βραχύς (brakhús, brakhýs) | brachydactyly |
| brady- | slow | Greek | βραδύς (bradús, bradýs) | bradycardia |
| branchi- | gill | Greek | βράγχιον (brágkhion, bránkhion) | branchiopod, nudibranch |
| brev- | brief, short (time) | Latin | brevis, breviare | abbreviation, brevity |
| briz- | nod, slumber | Greek | βρίζω (brizō) | |
| brom- | food | Greek | βρῶμα (brōma) | bromatium, bromatology |
| brom- | oats | Greek | βρόμος, βρόμη (brómos, brómē) "oats" | brome, Bromus, Bromus ramosus |
| brom- | stench | Greek | βρῶμος (brōmos) "stench, clangor" | bromate, bromide, bromine |
| bronch- | windpipe | Greek | βρόγχος (brógkhos, brónkhos) | bronchiole, bronchitis, bronchus |
| bront- | thunder | Greek | βροντή (brontē) | Brontosaurus |
| bucc- | cheek, mouth, cavity | Latin | bucca | buccal, buccinator muscle |
| bulb- | bulbous | Latin | bulbus | bulbous, bulbule |
| bull- | bubble, flask | Latin | bulla, "bubble" | ebullient, ebullism |
| burs- | pouch, purse | Latin | bursa | bursa, bursar, bursary, disburse |
Read more about this topic: List Of Greek And Latin Roots In English