Here you’ll find 45 prefixes that start with G, organized from “gam-” to “gyro-“. Most come from Greek or Latin, and you’ll see many used in science, medicine, and everyday words.
Prefixes that start with G are short beginnings added to base words to change or sharpen their meaning. Many arrived in English through Greek scientific vocabulary, for example geo- in geography.
Below you’ll find the table with Prefix, Origin, Meaning, Example words, and Notes.
Prefix: The prefix itself, shown so you can scan quickly for forms you already know or want to use.
Origin: The language source (Greek, Latin, Old English), helping you trace historical meaning patterns.
Meaning: A concise gloss of the prefix that helps you infer combined-word meanings almost immediately.
Example words: Two to four clear examples showing how the prefix changes base-word meanings in real usage.
Notes: Short usage tips, register, or field labels (medical, scientific, numeric) to help you apply the prefix correctly.
Prefixes that start with G
| Prefix | Origin | Meaning | Example words |
|---|---|---|---|
| geo- | Greek | earth, world | geography, geology, geothermal |
| giga- | Greek | billion (10^9) or giant | gigabyte, gigawatt, gigantism |
| gen- | Greek/Latin | birth, produce, kind | generate, gender, genus |
| geno- | Greek | race, origin, genes | genotype, genocide, genogram |
| genea- | Greek | family, descent | genealogy, genealogical, geneaology |
| genic- | Greek | producing, caused by | pathogenic, photogenic, carcinogenic |
| gastro- | Greek | stomach | gastronomy, gastrointestinal, gastropod |
| geront- | Greek | old age | gerontology, gerontocracy, gerontologist |
| geri- | Greek | old (medical) | geriatric, geriatrics, geriatrician |
| glyco- | Greek | sugar | glycolysis, glycoprotein, glycocalyx |
| gluco- | Greek | glucose, sugar | glucagon, glucose, glucogenesis |
| glyc- | Greek | sweet, sugar | glycogen, glycoside, glyceroglycolipid |
| gloss- | Greek | tongue, language | glossary, glossitis, glossolalia |
| glott- | Greek | tongue, vocal apparatus | glottis, polyglottal, glottal |
| glot- | Greek | tongue, language | polyglot, glottology, glottochronology |
| glyph- | Greek | carved symbol, writing | hieroglyph, petroglyph, logoglyph |
| glypt- | Greek | carve | glyptography, glyptodont |
| glaci- | Latin | ice | glacier, glaciology, glacial |
| gram- | Greek | letter, record, writing | telegram, cryptogram, grammar |
| graph- | Greek | write, record, draw | graphic, photograph, autograph |
| gno- | Greek | know | diagnosis, prognosis, agnostic |
| gnos- | Greek | know | gnostic, prognosis, diagnostic |
| gnath- | Greek | jaw | gnathic, agnathan, supragnathic |
| gon- | Greek | angle, corner | hexagon, pentagon, diagonal |
| gono- | Greek | seed, reproduction | gonorrhea, gonocyte, gonosome |
| gonio- | Greek | angle, measuring angles | goniometer, goniometry, gonioscopy |
| gonad- | Greek | reproductive gland | gonadal, gonadotropin, gonadectomy |
| gam- | Greek | marriage, union | monogamy, polygamy, bigamy |
| gyro- | Greek | circle, turn | gyroscope, gyration, gyrate |
| gyr- | Greek | circle, turn | gyrate, gyre, gyratory |
| grad- | Latin | step, degree | graduate, gradient, gradual |
| grav- | Latin | heavy, weighty | gravity, gravitate, gravid |
| greg- | Latin | flock | gregarious, congregation, aggregate |
| gymno- | Greek | naked, exposed | gymnosperm, gymnasium, gymnastic |
| gyno- | Greek | woman, female | gynecology, gynophobia, gynoecium |
| gyneco- | Greek | woman, woman-related | gynecomastia, gynecology, gynecology |
| gyne- | Greek | woman | gynephobia, gyneolatry |
| glypho- | Greek | carve, symbol | iconoglyph, typoglyph |
| gluteo- | Latin | buttock | gluteus, gluteal, gluteoplasty |
| granul- | Latin | small grain, particle | granulocyte, granuloma, granulometry |
| gregar- | Latin | flock, group | gregarious, gregarine |
| gnom- | Greek | judge, know, measure | gnomic, gnomon, diagnosis (historical) |
| glomer- | Latin | ball, cluster | glomerulus, glomerate, glomeration |
| gest- | Latin | carry, bear | gesture, gestation, ingest |
| glossario- | Latin/Italian | gloss, explanation | glossario (rare), glossary (related) |
Descriptions
geo-
Common geographic combining form; used in science, place names, and everyday words about Earth and location.
giga-
SI prefix and classical “giant” sense; common in technology and informal speech.
gen-
Very productive root for origin, creation, type; forms many English derivatives and compounds.
geno-
Genetics and lineage sense; frequent in biology and social-science terms.
genea-
Family-line sense used in historical and biographical contexts.
genic-
Suffix/combining form meaning “producing” or “originating”; common in science and medicine.
gastro-
Medical and culinary uses; forms many terms related to the stomach or digestion.
geront-
Used for aging studies and institutions; common in social science and medicine.
geri-
Medical combining form for old age; often appears in healthcare contexts.
glyco-
Biochemistry prefix for carbohydrate/sugar compounds; common in biology and medicine.
gluco-
Variant sugar prefix used widely in biochemistry and physiology.
glyc-
Short form of glyco-; frequent in biochemical terminology.
gloss-
Refers to tongue or language; used in linguistics and pathology (e.g., glossitis).
glott-
Language and phonetics domain; appears in anatomical and linguistic terms.
glot-
Alternate combining form for language; common in linguistic compounds.
glyph-
Refers to carved or inscribed symbols; used in archaeology, typography, and art history.
glypt-
Less common variant of glyph-; used in scholarly contexts about carving or engraved art.
glaci-
Geology and climate terms about ice and glaciers; frequent in earth-science vocabulary.
gram-
Combining form for written record or unit; used in communications and linguistic terms.
graph-
Extremely productive for writing/drawing/recording concepts; common across STEM and arts.
gno-
Combining form related to knowledge; note silent ‘g’ in many derivatives.
gnos-
Variant used in many medical and philosophical compounds; watch for silent ‘g’ pronunciation.
gnath-
Anatomical combining form used in zoology and medicine for jaw-related terms.
gon-
Used in geometry for angles and sided figures; appears in maths and geometry vocabulary.
gono-
Reproductive biological sense; common in pathology and developmental biology.
gonio-
Technical term for angle-measuring instruments and procedures (optics, ophthalmology).
gonad-
Medical/anatomical prefix for sex glands; frequent in endocrinology.
gam-
Relational/marriage sense; common in social science, anthropology, and legal contexts.
gyro-
Motion and rotation sense; used in physics, engineering, and nautical terms.
gyr-
Shorter variant of gyro-; common in verbs and nouns about rotation.
grad-
Degrees or steps; very common in academic, geographical, and technical vocabulary.
grav-
Weight or seriousness sense; important in physics and figurative language.
greg-
Social-grouping root; appears across social sciences and everyday adjectives.
gymno-
Biology (naked seed) and classical Greek usages (exercise); note different modern senses.
gyno-
Medical and botanical female-related form; see gyneco- for variant.
gyneco-
Variant medical form; common in clinical and biological terminology.
gyne-
Short form used in compounds; often interchangeable with gyno-/gyneco-.
glypho-
Rare variant combining form related to glyph-; used in technical/archaeological contexts.
gluteo-
Anatomical combining form used in medicine and anatomy for buttock-related terms.
granul-
Medical and materials-science term for grainy or particulate structures.
gregar-
Variant of greg- emphasizing social grouping; appears in biology and social descriptions.
gnom-
Obscure but attested; relates to judgment, knowledge, or indicator (gnomon).
glomer-
Used in biology and microscopy for rounded clusters (e.g., kidney structures).
gest-
Bound root appearing at word starts; denotes carrying or bearing in medical and general terms.
glossario-
Rare combining variant tied to gloss-; chiefly historical or language-study contexts.