This list includes 11 Prefixes that start with Z, ranging from “zebi-” to “zymo-“. Most are short, often specialized, and come from Greek, Latin, or scientific naming systems used in medicine and science.
Prefixes that start with Z are compact word-beginnings you attach to roots to form technical and descriptive terms. Notably, forms like “zyg-” and “zymo-” appear in biology and chemistry, showing Greek influence on scientific vocabulary.
Below you’ll find the table with Prefix, Origin, Meaning, and Example words.
Prefix: Shows the prefix itself so you can identify the exact form used at the start of words.
Origin: Gives the root language so you understand its history and related word families.
Meaning: Provides a concise definition in three to seven words to help you build or interpret terms.
Example words: Lists two to four real words using the prefix so you see how it changes word meanings.
Prefixes that start with Z
| Prefix | Origin | Meaning | Example words |
|---|---|---|---|
| zo- | Greek | animal; relating to animals | zoology, zooplankton, zoophagy |
| zoo- | Greek | animal; relating to animals | zoogeography, zootherapy, zoobank |
| zoon- | Greek | animal (organism); life-form | zoonosis, zoonotic, protozoon |
| zyg- | Greek | yoke; joined, paired | zygote, azygous, zygoma |
| zygo- | Greek | yoke; joined, paired | zygomatic, zygodactyly, zygomorphic |
| zym- | Greek | fermentation; enzyme-related | zymology, zymotic, zyme |
| zymo- | Greek | fermentation; enzyme-related | zymogen, zymogram, zymography |
| zepto- | SI (modern) | 10^-21 (metric prefix) | zeptosecond, zeptoliter, zeptogram |
| zetta- | SI (modern) | 10^21 (metric prefix) | zettabyte, zettawatt, zettahertz |
| zebi- | IEC (modern) | binary prefix 2^70 (≈1.18×10^21) | zebibyte, zebibit, zebibyte-per-second |
| zero- | Italian/Arabic (modern) | zero; absence, none | zero-sum, zero-day, zero-point |