The root 'xen(o)' means which?

• A. Stranger
• B. Foreign
• C. Animal
• D. Native

Answer: (B)

Xen(o) signals foreign or strange. In medical terms you’ll see it in xenograft (tissue from a different species) or xenobiotic (a foreign chemical), where the emphasis is on something from outside the body or from another source. That’s why “foreign” is the best fit. The animal sense would come from zoo-, not xen-, and “native” implies something from within the organism or place, which is the opposite of this root’s meaning. So the root means foreign.