List of commonly used taxonomic affixes

• -acanth, acantho-, -cantho: Pronunciation: /eɪkænθ/, /eɪkænθoʊ/. Origin: Ancient Greek ἄκανθα. Meaning: spine.
• arch-, archi-, archo-, -archus: Pronunciation: /ark/, /arkoʊ/, /arkɪ/, /arkəs/. Origin: Ancient Greek ἀρχός, meaning: ruler; ἀρχικός, meaning: ruling. Used for exceptionally large or widespread animals.
• archaeo-: Pronunciation: /arkiːɒ/, /arkiːoʊ/. Origin: Ancient Greek ἀρχαῖος. Meaning: ancient. Used for early versions of animals and plants.
• arthro-: /arθroʊ/. Origin: Ancient Greek ἄρθρον. Meaning: Joint. Often used for animals with exoskeletons.
• aspido-, -aspis: Pronunciation: /əspɪdoʊ/, /əspɪs/. Origin: Ancient Greek ἀσπίς . Meaning: shield. The suffix "-aspis" is used to describe armored fish.
• -avis: Pronunciation: /əvɪs/. Origin: Latin avis. Meaning: Bird.
• brachi-, brachy-: pronunciation: /brækɪ/. Origin: Ancient Greek βραχύς, βραχίων. Meaning: short, and the short part of the arm, or upper arm, respectively. Used in its original meaning, and also to mean "arm".
• bronto-: Pronunciation: /brɒntoʊ/. Origin: Ancient Greek βροντή. Meaning: thunder. Used for large animals.
• -canth, cantho-: see -acanth, acantho-
• -cephalus, cephalo-, -cephale, -cephalian: Pronunciation: /sɛfələs/, /sɛfəloʊ̯/, /sɛfəli:/ /sɛfeɪliːən/. Origin: Ancient Greek κεφαλή. Meaning: head.
• -ceras, cerat-, -ceratus : Pronunciation: /sɛrəs/, /sɛrət/, /sɛrətəs/. Origin: Ancient Greek κέρας. Meaning: horn. Used for many horned animals, but most notably ceratopsians.
• cetio-, -cetus: Pronuncuation: /sɛtɪoʊ/, /siːtəs/. Origin: Ancient Greek κῆτος. Meaning: sea-monster. The suffix "-cetus" is used for whales or whale ancestors, while the prefix "cetio-" is used for whale-like or large animals.
• -cheirus: Pronunciation: /kaɪrəs/. Origin: χείρ. Meaning: hand.
• chloro-: Pronunciation: /kloroʊ/. Origin: Ancient Greek χλωρός. Meaning: green.
• coel-: Pronunciation: /siːl/ or /sɛl/. Origin: Ancient Greek κοῖλος. Meaning: hollow.
• cyclo-: Pronunciation: /saɪkləʊ/. Origin: Ancient Greek κύκλος. Meaning: circle.
• cyn-, -cyon: Pronunciation: /saɪn/, /saɪɒn/. Origin: Ancient Greek κύων. Meaning: dog. Used for dogs or dog-like creatures.
• -dactyl, -dactylus: Pronunciation: /dæktəl/, /dæktələs/. Origin: Ancient Greek δάκτυλος. Meaning: finger, toe.
• -deres: Origin: Ancient Greek δέρη. Meaning: neck, collar.
• -derm: Pronunciation: /dɜrm/. Origin: Ancient Greek δέρμα. Meaning: animal hide. Used for skin.
• deino-: See dino-, deino-.
• -delphys, -delphis, delpho-: Pronunciation: /dɜlfɪs/, /dɜlfʊ/. Origin: Ancient Greek δελφύς. Meaning: womb. Used for therian mammals.
• dendro-, -dendron, -dendrum: Pronunciation: /dɛn.dɹoʊ/, /ˈdɛndɹən/, /dɛndɹəm/. Origin: Ancient Greek δένδρον. Meaning: tree.
• di-: Pronunciation: /daɪ/. Origin: Ancient Greek δίς. Meaning: twice. Used to indicate two of something.
• dino-, deino-: Pronunciation: /daɪnoʊ/. Origin: Ancient Greek δεινός. Meaning: "terrible", "formidable". Used for presumably fearfully large or dangerous animals or animal parts.
• diplo-: Pronunciation: /dɪploʊ/, /dɪplo/. Origin: Ancient Greek διπλόος, διπλοῦς. Meaning: double.
• -don, -dont, -donto-: See -odon, -odont, -odonto-.
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• dromaeo-, dromeo-, -dromeus: Pronunciation: /droʊmɪoʊ/, /droʊmɪəs/ Origin: Ancient Greek δρομαῖος. Meaning: runner.
• eo-: Pronunciation: /iːoʊ̯/. Origin: Ancient Greek ἠώς. Meaning: dawn. Used for very early appearances of animals in the fossil record.
• -erpeton: Pronunciation: /ɜrpətɒn/. Origin: Ancient Greek ἑρπετόν. Meaning: reptile ; used for amphibians.
• eu-: Pronunciation: /iːu̟/. Origin: Ancient Greek εὖ. Meaning: "good", "well"; also extended via New Latin to mean "true". Used in a variety of ways, often to indicate well-preserved specimens, well-developed bones, "truer" examples of fossil forms, or simply admiration on the part of the discoverer.
• -felis: Pronunciation: /fiːlɪs/. Origin: Latin felis, feles. Meaning: cat. "Felis" alone is the genus name for the group that includes the domestic cat.
• -form, -formes: Pronunciation: /foʊrm/, /foʊrms/. Origin: Latin forma. Meaning: shape, form. Used for large groups of animals that share similar characteristics.
• giga-, giganto-: Pronunciation: /d͡ʒaɪgə/, /d͡ʒaɪgæntoʊ/. Origin: Ancient Greek γίγας, γῐ́γᾰντος. Meaning: giant, of a giant, respectively. Used for large species.
• -gnath-, gnatho-, -gnathus: Pronunciation: /neɪθ/, /neɪθoʊ/, /neɪθəs/. Origin: Ancient Greek γνάθος. Meaning: jaw.
• hemi-: Pronunciation: /hɛmi/. Origin: Ancient Greek ἡμι-. Meaning: half.
• hippus, hippo-: Pronunciation: /ἵππος/. Origin: Ancient Greek ἵππος. Meaning: horse
• hyl-, hylo-: Pronunciation: /haɪl/, /haɪloʊ/. Origin: Ancient Greek ὕλη. Meaning: wood, forest.
• -ia: Pronunciation: /iːə/. Origin: Ancient Greek -ια, -εια. Meaning: an abstraction usually used as an honorific for a person or place.
• ichthyo-, -ichthys: Pronunciation: /ɪkθioʊs/, /ɪkθis/. Origin: Ancient Greek ἰχθῦς. Meaning: fish. The suffix "-ichthys" is used for fish, while the prefix "ichthyo-", while used for fish, is also used for fish-like creatures.
• -lania, Pronunciation: /læniːə/, Origin: Ancient Greek ἀλαίνειν : Meaning: to wander. Used for animals that are found in most places around continents.
• -lepis, lepido-: Pronunciation: /lɛpɪs/ /lɛpɪdoʊ/. Origin: Ancient Greek λεπίς. Meaning: scale.
• -lestes: Pronunciation: /lɛstiːz/. Origin: Ancient Greek λῃστής. Meaning: robber.
• long: Pronunciation: /lʊng/. Origin: Mandarin long. Meaning: dragon. Used for dinosaur finds in China
• -lopho-, -lophus: Pronunciation: /lɒfoʊ/, /ləfəs/. Origin: Ancient Greek λόφος. Meaning: A bird's crest. Used for animals with crests on their heads.
• macro-: Pronunciation: /mækroʊ/. Origin: Ancient Greek μακρός. Meaning: long; large.
• -maia, maia-: Pronunciation: /meiə/ Origin: Ancient Greek Μαῖα. Meaning: Originally the mother of Hermes in Greek mythology and the goddess of growth in Roman mythology, alternatively spelled Maja. Frequently used to indicate maternal roles, this word should not be construed as translating directly to "mother" ; aside from being a proper name, in Ancient Greek "maîa" can translate to "midwife" or "foster mother" and was used as an honorific address for older women, typically translated into English as "Good Mother".
• mega-, megalo-: Pronunciation: /mɛga/, /mɛgaloʊ̯/. Origin: Ancient Greek μέγας, μεγάλη. Meaning: big.
• micro-: Pronunciation: /maɪkroʊ̯/. Origin: Ancient Greek μικρός. Meaning: "small".
• mimo-, -mimus: /maɪmoʊ̯/, /maɪməs/. Origin: Latin mimus. Meaning: actor. Used for creatures that resemble others.
• -monas, -monad: Pronunciation: /moʊnas/, /monas/, /moʊnad/, /monad/. Origin: Ancient Greek μονάς. Meaning: unit. Used for single-celled organisms.
• -morph: Pronunciation: /moʊrf/. Origin: Ancient Greek μορφή. Meaning: form, shape. Used for large groups of animals which share a common genetic lineage
• -nax, -anax-: Pronunciation: /ναξ/άναξ/. Origin: Ancient Greek ἄναξ. Meaning: king.
• -nych, nycho-, -nyx: see -onych, onycho-, -onyx
• -odon, -odont, -odonto-: Pronunciation: /oʊdɒn/, /oʊdɒnt/, /oʊdɒntoʊ/. Origin: Ancient Greek ὀδούς. Meaning: tooth.
• -oides, -odes: Pronunciation: /oiːdiːz/, /oʊːdiːz/. Origin: Ancient Greek εἶδος. Meaning: likeness. Used for species that resemble other species.
• onycho-, -onychus, -onyx: /ɒnikoʊ/, /ɒnikəs/, /ɒniks/. Origin: Ancient Greek ὄνυξ. Meaning: claw.
• -ops: Pronunciation: /ɒps/. Origin: Ancient Greek ὄψ. Meaning: face.
• -ornis, ornith-, ornitho-: Pronunciation: /oʊ̯rnɪs/, /oʊ̯rnɪθ/, /oʊ̯rnɪθoʊ̯/. Origin: Ancient Greek ὄρνις, ὄρνιθος. Meaning: bird, of a bird respectively. "ornith-" and "ornitho-" are generally used for animals with birdlike characteristics; the suffix "-ornis" is generally applied to fossil bird species.
• pachy-: Pronunciation: /pæki/ Origin: Ancient Greek παχύς. Meaning: thick.
• para-: Pronunciation: /pærɑː/ Origin: Ancient Greek παρά. Meaning: near. Used for species that resemble previously named species.
• -pelta: Pronunciation: /:/ Origin: Ancient Greek πέλτη. Meaning: shield. Frequently used for ankylosaurs.
• -pithecus: Pronunciation: /piθəkəs/. Origin: Ancient Greek πίθηκος. Meaning: ape.
• platy-: Pronunciation: /ˈplætɪ/. Origin: Ancient Greek πλατύς. Meaning: flat. Used for creatures that are flat or have flat parts.
• plesio-, plesi-: Pronunciation: /pliːziːoʊ/, /pliːz/. Origin: Ancient Greek πλησίον. Meaning: near. Used for species that bear similarities to other species.
• -pod, podo-, -pus: Pronunciation: /pɒd/, /pɒdoʊ/, /pʊs/. Origin: Ancient Greek πούς, ποδός. Meaning: foot, of the foot, respectively.
• pro-, protero-: pronunciation: /proʊ̯/, /proʊ̯tεroʊ̯/. Origin: Ancient Greek πρό, πρότερος. Meaning: before. Usually used for ancestral forms.
• proto-: Pronunciation: /proʊtoʊ/. Origin: Ancient Greek πρῶτος. Meaning: first. Used for early appearances in the fossil record.
• psittaco-, -psitta: Pronunciation: /sitɑːkoʊ/, /psitə/. Origin: Ancient Greek ψιττακός. Meaning: parrot. "Psittaco-" is used for parrot-like creatures, while the suffix "psitta" is used for parrots.
• pter-, ptero-, -pterus, pteryg-, -ptera, -pteryx. Pronunciation: /ter/, /teroʊ/, /pterəs/, /terɪg/, /pterɪx/. Origin: Ancient Greek πτέρυξ, πτέρυγος. Meaning: wing, of a wing, respectively. Used for many winged creatures, but also expanded to mean "fin", and used for many undersea arthropods.
• -pus: see: -pod, -podo-, -pus.
• -raptor, raptor-: Pronunciation: /ræptər/. Origin: Latin raptor. Meaning: "seizer, stealer". Frequently used for dromaeosaurids or similar animals. The term "raptor" by itself may also be used for a dromeosaurid, a Velociraptor, or originally, a bird of prey.
• -rex: Pronunciation: /rεks/. Origin: Latin rex. Meaning: king. Often used for large or impressive animals.
• -rhina, rhino-, -rhinus: Pronunciation: /raɪnə/ /raɪnoʊ̯/, /raɪnəs/. Origin: Ancient Greek ῥίς. Meaning: nose.
• rhodo-: Pronunciation: /roʊdoʊ/, /rodoʊ/. Origin: Ancient Greek ῥόδον. Meaning: "rose". Used for red-colored organisms.
• rhynco-, -rhynchus: Pronunciation: /rɪnkoʊ/, /rɪnkəs/. Origin: Ancient Greek ῥύγχος. Meaning: "beak", "snout".
• sarco-: Pronunciation: /sɑːrkʊ/. Origin: Ancient Greek σάρξ. Meaning: flesh. Used for flesh-eating animals or animals and plants with fleshy parts
• saur, sauro-, -saurus: Pronunciation: /sɔər/, /sɔəroʊ/, /sɔərəs/. Origin: Ancient Greek σαῦρος. Meaning: lizard. Used for dinosaurs and other extinct reptiles.
• smilo-, -smilus: Pronunciation: /smaɪloʊ/, /smaɪləs/. Origin: Ancient Greek σμίλη. Meaning: a carving knife or chisel. Used for animals with sabre teeth.
• -spondylus: Pronunciation: /spɒndələs/. Origin: Ancient Greek σπόνδυλος. Meaning: vertebra.
• squali-, squalo-: Pronunciation: /skweɪlɪ/, /skweɪloʊ/. Origin: Latin squalus. Meaning: a kind of sea fish. Used for shark like creatures.
• stego-, -stega: Pronunciation: /stɛgoʊ/, /stɛgə/. Origin: Ancient Greek στέγη. Meaning: roof. Used for armoured or plated animals.
• strepto-: Pronunciation: /streptoʊ/, /strepto/. Origin: Ancient Greek στρεπτός. Meaning: twisted, bent.
• -stoma, -stome, -stomus: Pronunciation: /stoʊma/, /stoʊm/, /stoʊməs/. Origin: Ancient Greek στόμα. Meaning: mouth.
• sucho-, -suchus: Pronunciation: /sjuːkoʊ/, /sjuːkəs/. Origin: Ancient Greek σοῦχος. Meaning:: Originally the Ancient Greek name for the Ancient Egyptian crocodile-headed god, Sobek. Used to denote crocodilians or crocodile-like animals.
• -teuthis: Pronunciation: /tjuːθɪs/. Origin: Ancient Greek τευθίς. Meaning: squid. Used for squids and similar cephalopods.
• thero-, -therium. Pronunciation: /θɛroʊ/, /θiːrɪəm/. Origin: Ancient Greek θήρ. Meaning: beast. Used for supposedly monstrous animals. The suffix "-therium" is often used to denote extinct mammals.
• thylac-: Pronunciation: /θaɪlæk/. Origin: Ancient Greek θύλακος. Meaning: a sack. In the sense of "pouch", used for marsupials.
• tri-: Pronunciation: /traɪ/. Origin: Ancient Greek τρία. Meaning: three.
• titano-, -titan: Pronunciation: /taɪtænoʊ/, /taɪtən/. Origin: Ancient Greek Τιτάν, Τιτᾶνος. Meaning: Titan, of the Titan, respectively. Used for large animals.
• tyranno-, -tyrannus: Pronunciation: /taɪrænoʊ/, /taɪrænəs/. Origin: Ancient Greek τύραννος. Meaning: tyrant. Used for animals similar to Tyrannosaurus.
• veloci-: Origin: Latin velox. Meaning: speed.
• -venator: Pronunciation: /vɛnətər/. Origin: Latin venator. Meaning: hunter.
• xeno-: Pronunciation: /zinoʊ/. Origin: Ancient Greek ξένος. Meaning: strange, stranger. Used for organisms that exhibit unusual traits for their class.
• -zoon, -zoa: Pronunciation: /zoʊɑːn/, /zoʊə/. Origin: Ancient Greek ζῷον. Meaning: animal. Used for broad categories of animals, or in certain names of animals.