Back to dictionary
exo-
(EK-soh)outside, external
Greek for outside. The exoskeleton of an insect is on the outside; ectoplasm in biology is the outer layer of cell material.
prefixGreek
Place & directionSpellings:exoecto
Example words
exoskeleton
a hard outer covering that supports the body
exothermic
releasing heat outward
exotic
from a faraway, outside place
ectoplasm
the outer layer of the cytoplasm of a cell
Common Core alignment
Grades served: 6, 7, 8
- L.6.4bUse common, grade-appropriate Greek or Latin affixes and roots as clues to the meaning of a word (e.g., audience, auditory, audible).
- L.7.4bUse common, grade-appropriate Greek or Latin affixes and roots as clues to the meaning of a word (e.g., belligerent, bellicose, rebel).
- L.8.4bUse common, grade-appropriate Greek or Latin affixes and roots as clues to the meaning of a word (e.g., precede, recede, secede).
Related roots
Place & direction. Roots that locate things: under, over, between, before, after.
Browse all place & direction roots →L.6.4bL.7.4bL.8.4b