ped & pod

These ROOT-WORDS are PED & POD. Both mean FOOT. PED comes from the Latin ped. POD comes from the Greek podos. Here’s a complication. On the list, words No. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 are concerned with children. You are right to ask where children come in with PED, which means FOOT. Here’s the answer; in Greek paidos means boy. Someone walked (agogos) the boy to school, on foot. Paidos became PED; his companion became a teacher (PEDagogue). The doctor who cared for the boy became a PEDiatrician. See?


1. Pedagogue : PED agogue (ped’ a gog) n.

One who leads a child; a teacher


2. Pedantry : PED antry (ped’ an tree) n.

Display of learning


3. Pediatrician : PED iatrician (ped ee a trish’ an) n.

A doctor who specializes in the care of children


4. Pediatrics : PED iatrics (pede ee a’ triks) n.

That branch of medicine devoted to the care of children


5. Pedodontia : PED odontia (pee do don’ shi a) n.

Treatment of the teeth of children


6. Pedophilia : PED ophilia (pee do fil’ i a) n.

Inordinate love for children


7. Pedotrophy : PED otrophy (pe dot’ ro fi) n.

The art of properly rearing children


8. Pedology : PED ology (pee dol’ o jee) n.

Child study


9. Pedigerous : PED igerous (pe dij’ er us) adj.

Having feet


10. Pedestal : PED estal (ped’ est al) n.

The base of a statue or monument



11. Pedestrian : PED estrian (pe des’ tree an) n.

One who travels on foot


12. Pedometer : PED ometer (pe dom’ et er) n.

An instrument to measure distance walked


13. Pedomotive : PED omotive (ped o moe’ tiv) adj.

Moved by the power of the foot


14. Pedal : PED al (ped’ al) adj.

Relating to the foot


15. Podiatry : POD iatry (po die’ a tree) n.

That branch of medicine which treats of diseases of the foot


16. Podiatrist : POD iatrist (po die’ a trist) n.

One who practices podiatry


17. Pedograph : PED ograph (ped’ o graf) n.

An instrument that records topography when held by a pedestrian as he walks


18. Pedomotor : PED omotor (pe dom’ ot or) n.

Machine driven by the power of the feet; as, a bicycle, skates


19. Podium : POD ium (pode’ ee um) n.

A platform; dais


20. Pedialgia : PED ialgia (ped i al’ ji a) n.

Neuralgia in the foot

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