Elements of the Universe: geo (earth), terra (land)

Learn this list of words with geo meaning "earth" and terra meaning "land."
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. geology
    science of the history of the earth as recorded in rocks
    geo ("earth") + logy (suffix meaning "science")
    In the 14th century, the study of geology included much more than topography (the Greek topos means "place"). Geology was once the opposite of theology and examined earthly things, such as laws.
  2. geography
    study of the earth's surface
    geo + graphy (suffix forming names of descriptive sciences)
    Geography covers not only the physical features of the earth, but also climate, population, natural resources, and other related topics.
  3. geometry
    the mathematics of points and lines and curves and surfaces
    geo + metry (suffix meaning "process of measuring")
  4. geocentric
    having the earth in the middle
    geo + centric (suffix meaning "centered on")
  5. geopolitics
    influence of location, demographics, etc. on foreign policy
    geo + polites ("citizen") + ics (suffix forming names of disciplines)
  6. geothermal
    of or relating to the heat in the interior of the earth
    geo + therm ("heat") + al (suffix forming adjectives)
  7. terrain
    a piece of ground having specific characteristics
  8. territory
    a region marked off for administrative or other purposes
  9. terrestrial
    of or relating to or characteristic of the planet Earth
  10. terrace
    usually paved outdoor area adjoining a residence
  11. terra firma
    the solid part of the earth's surface
  12. terra cotta
    clay fired for pottery and building material, or the finished object
  13. extraterrestrial
    originating, located, or occurring outside Earth
  14. extraterritorial
    beyond the boundaries or control of a particular area
Created on Wed Feb 11 11:30:47 EST 2026 (updated Fri Mar 20 16:09:07 EDT 2026)

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