Word Root: Micro- (Prefix) - Membean

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micro-

small

Quick Summary

Prefixes are key morphemes in English vocabulary that begin words. The origin of the prefix micro- is an ancient Greek word which meant “small.” This prefix appears in no “small” number of English vocabulary words; microphone, microwave, and micromanager are a few noteworthy examples. An easy way to remember that the prefix micro- means “small” is through the word microscope, an instrument which allows the viewer to see “small” living things.

Micro-: Not a "Small" Prefix

Prefixes are key morphemes in English vocabulary that begin words. Today we will micromanage your learning in no “small” way to tell you all about the Greek prefix micro-!

When someone refers to something as simply micro, she means that it is “small.” A microscope, for instance, enables a scientist to see “small” living organisms. Living creatures viewed under a microscope are called microorganisms, or very “small” one-celled creatures, such as viruses, fungi, and bacteria. Microbiologists study these “small” life forms, also known as microbes.

Many inventions use the prefix micro- which means “small.” A microphone, for instance, makes a “small” voice louder, just like a microscope makes “small” images larger. A microwave is a relatively “small” radio wave, measuring in length from one millimeter to one meter; a microwave oven uses these “small” radio waves to heat food. A microprocessor is a “small” processor at the heart of a computer that performs such tasks as computation, communication, and multimedia functions.

I hope that you have never been saddled with a boss who is a micromanager, or who likes to control every “small” aspect of everything that his employees do, no matter how “small!”

Now the next time you speak into a microphone, peer into a microscope, or use a microwave, you will know that it is no “small” potatoes to know what micro- is all about!

1. micro: ‘small’
2. microscope: instrument that makes ‘small’ things perceptible
3. microorganism: very ‘small’ living creature consisting of one cell
4. microbiologist: a scientist who studies ‘small’ living creatures
5. microbe: very ‘small’ life form
6. microphone: makes a ‘small’ voice loud
7. microwave: ‘small’ radio wave
8. microprocessor: ‘small’ computer processing unit
9. micromanager: supervisor who looks at every ‘small’ thing her employees do

Related Rootcasts

• The Fascinating Parts of Words

  Morphology is the study of how words are put together by using morphemes, which include prefixes, roots, and suffixes. Parsing the different morphemes in a word reveals meaning and part of speech. For instance, the word “invention” includes the prefix in- + the root vent + the suffix -ion, from which is formed the noun “invention.”

• Etymology: Word Origins

  Etymology is that part of linguistics that studies word origins. English vocabulary words are formed from many different sources, especially Latin and Greek. By determining the origins of the morphemes in English words, one is better able to remember and determine the dictionary definitions of words.

Usage

• microcosm

  A microcosm is a small group, place, or activity that has all the same qualities as a much larger one; therefore, it seems like a smaller version of it.

• micro

  extremely small in scale or scope or capability

• microbe

  a minute life form (especially a disease-causing bacterium)

• microbiology

  the branch of biology that studies microorganisms and their effects on humans

• microchip

  electronic equipment consisting of a small crystal of a silicon semiconductor fabricated to carry out a number of electronic functions in an integrated circuit

• microcomputer

  a small digital computer based on a microprocessor and designed to be used by one person at a time

• microfiche

  small sheet of microfilm on which many pages of material have been photographed

• microfilm

  record on microfilm

• micromanage

  to manage every small detail of a project

• micromanager

  one who manages every small detail of a project

• micrometer

  a metric unit of length equal to one millionth of a meter

• microorganism

  any organism of microscopic size

• microphone

  device for converting sound waves into electrical energy

• microprocessor

  integrated circuit semiconductor chip that performs the bulk of the processing and controls the parts of a system

• microscope

  magnifier of the image of small objects

• microscopic

  of or relating to or used in microscopy

• microwave

  cook or heat in a microwave oven

Related Word Roots

• -ling

  small

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