This list includes 28 Prefixes that start with L, from “labio” to “lyso”. Many come from Latin and Greek and appear in medicine, science, and everyday vocabulary.

Prefixes that start with L are short word parts that change or refine a base word’s meaning. Several well-known examples, like “lacto-” and “lyso-“, reflect Latin or Greek roots used in medicine and biology.

Below you’ll find the table with Prefix, Origin, Meaning, Example words, and Notes.

Prefix: The actual prefix listed; you can use it to recognize and build related words quickly.

Origin: Shows the prefix’s language of origin, so you trace etymology and spot patterns across vocabularies.

Meaning: Gives a concise definition in three to seven words, helping you guess unfamiliar words’ senses quickly.

Example words: Lists two to four clear examples so you see the prefix in real words and learn usage.

Notes: Optional notes include variants, related forms, or typical fields like medicine and science for context.

Prefixes that start with L

PrefixOriginMeaningExample words
labioLatinrelating to the lipslabiodental, labiaplasty, labiofacial
lacrimoLatinrelating to tearslacrimation, lacrimal, lacrimose
lactoLatinrelating to milklactose, lactation, lactobacillus
laminoLatinthin plate or layerlamination, laminoplasty, laminotomy
lamellLatinsmall plate or thin layerlamella, lamellate, lamellophone
lateroLatinrelating to the sidelaterality, laterodorsal, lateroflexion
leioGreekrelating to smoothnessleiomyoma, leiotrichia, leiodermia
lepidoGreekrelating to scalesLepidoptera, lepidosaur, lepidolite
leptoGreekrelating to thinness or slendernessleptocephalus, leptokurtic, leptosome
leukoGreekrelating to whitenessleukemia, leukocyte, leukoderma
lexiGreekrelating to words or speechlexicon, lexicography, lexeme
lipoGreekrelating to fatlipid, liposome, lipolysis
limnoGreekrelating to lakes or freshwaterlimnology, limnetic, limnology
lithoGreekrelating to stone or rocklithosphere, lithography, lithotomy
locoLatinrelating to place or locationlocomotion, location, local, locus
logoGreekrelating to words, speech, studylogogram, logotype, logorrhea
loquLatinrelating to speech or speakingloquacious, eloquent, soliloquy
laryngoGreekrelating to the larynx (throat)laryngitis, laryngoscope, laryngectomy
levoLatinrelating to the left sidelevorotation, levorotatory, levogyre
linguLatinrelating to the tongue or languagelinguistics, bilingual, linguiform
lignoLatinrelating to woodlignocellulose, lignin, lignify
linoLatinrelating to flax or linenlinoleum, linseed, linotype
lysoGreekrelating to loosening or dissolvinglysosome, lysozyme, autolysis
lymphoGreekrelating to lymph or lymphatic systemlymphocyte, lymphatic, lymphoma
lyoGreekrelating to dissolution or dryinglyophilize, lyophilization, lyotropic
laparoGreekrelating to the abdomen or flanklaparoscopy, laparotomy, laparoscope
luminLatinrelating to light or illuminationluminescence, luminous, illumination
luteoLatinrelating to yellow colorluteal, luteolin, luteovirus

Descriptions

labio
Used in anatomy and medical terms for the lips; neutral register, common in dentistry and surgery.
lacrimo
Found in medical/poetic contexts about crying or tear glands; slightly formal or technical.
lacto
Common in biology, nutrition, and medicine to mark milk-derived processes or organisms.
lamino
Used in engineering and medicine for layered structures or surgical procedures on vertebral laminae.
lamell
Seen in biology and materials science to describe thin layered structures; somewhat technical.
latero
Used in anatomy and spatial descriptions to denote side-oriented positions or movements.
leio
A technical combining form (medical/zoological) for smooth structures; formal and scientific.
lepido
Common in zoology and taxonomy (e.g., butterflies, reptiles); technical and scientific.
lepto
Appears in zoology, statistics, and biology to indicate slender or fine qualities; technical usage.
leuko
Very common in medical terminology to mark white blood cells or whiteness-related conditions.
lexi
Used in linguistics and literary fields; neutral-to-formal register for word-related concepts.
lipo
Widespread in biology, chemistry, and medicine for fats and fat-related processes.
limno
Specialist term in ecology and geoscience for lake studies; technical and academic.
litho
Common in geology, printing, and surgery; technical but widely recognized.
loco
Productive in many everyday and technical words referring to place or position.
logo
Very productive combining form in fields ranging from linguistics to psychotherapy; formal to neutral.
loqu
Found in adjectives and nouns about talking; common in general English and literature.
laryngo
Medical/ENT combining form used in diagnostics and surgery for the voice box area.
levo
Used chiefly in chemistry, pharmacology, and directional descriptions to mean “left” or leftward rotation.
lingu
Used in linguistics, anatomy, and descriptors of language/ tongue; neutral, academic to general usage.
ligno
Common in botany, materials science, and chemistry when discussing wood-derived compounds.
lino
Found in historical and material contexts (textiles, printing); somewhat specialized.
lyso
Widely used in cellular biology and biochemistry to denote breaking-down processes.
lympho
Common in medical and immunological contexts discussing the lymph system and related cells/tissues.
lyo
Technical combining form in chemistry and pharmaceuticals (freeze-drying); specialist register.
laparo
Common in surgical and medical terminology for abdominal procedures; technical and clinical.
lumin
Used across science and everyday language for light-related phenomena; neutral to technical.
luteo
Often appears in biology and taxonomy to indicate yellowish coloration; technical/scientific register.
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