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MEDICAL TERMINOLOGY
PREFIX- ROOT - SUFFIX MEANING
a- no; not; without an- no; not; without ab- away from abdomin/o abdomen
- ac pertaining to acanth/o spiny; thorny acar/o mites acetabul/o acetabulum (hip socket) acous/o hearing acoust/o hearing, sound acr/o extremeties; top; extreme point acromi/o acromion (extension of shoulder bone) actin/o light acu/o sharp; severe; sudden
- acusis hearing ad- toward
- ad toward aden/o gland adenoid/o adenoids adip/o fat adren/o adrenal gland adrenal/o adrenal gland aer/o air af- toward agglutin/o clumping; sticking together
- agogue producer, leader
- agon to assemble; gather agora- marketplace
- agra excessive pain
- al pertaining to alb/o white albin/o white albumin/o albumin (protein) alges/o sensitivity to pain
- algesia sensitivity to pain
- algia pain all/o other alveol/o alveolus; air sac; small sac ambi- around, on both sides, about ambly/o dim; dull amphi- around, on both sides
- amine nitrogen compound ammon/o ammonium amni/o amnion (ssac surrounding the embryo) amyl/o starch an/o anus
- an pertaining to ana- up; apart; backward; again; anew andr/o male aneurysm/o aneurysm (widening of blood vessel) angi/o vessel (blood) anis/o unequal ankyl/o stiff ante- before; forward
MEDICAL TERMINOLOGY
PREFIX- ROOT - SUFFIX MEANING
anter/o front anthrac/o coal anthr/o antrum of the stomach anti- against anxi/o uneasy; anxious aort/o aorta (largest artery)
- apheresis removal aphth/o ulcer apo- off; away aponeur/o aponeurosis (type of tendon) append/o appendix appendic/o appendix aque/o water
- ar pertaining to arachn/o spider
- arche beginning arsenic/o arsenic arter/o artery arteri/o artery arteriol/o arteriole (small artery) arthr/o joint
- arthria articulate (speak distinctly) articul/o joint
- artresia closure, occlusion atreto- closed, lacking an opening
- ary pertaining to asbest/o asbestos
- ase enzyme aspir/o removal
- assay to examine, analyze
- asthenia lack of strength astr/o star, star-shaped atel/o incomplete ather/o plaque (fatty substance)
- ation process; condition atri/o atrium (upper heart chamber) atmo- steam, vapor audi/o hearing audit/o hearing aur/o ear auricul/o ear auscult/o to listen aut/o self; own aut- self; own auto- self; own aux/o growth, acceleration axill/o armpit axi/o axis azot/o urea; nitrogen bacill/o bacilli (bacteria) bacteri/o bacteria balan/o glans penis bar/o pressure; weight bartholin/o Bartholin glands
- centesis surgical puncture to remove fluid centr/o center cephal/o head cerebell/o cerebellum (posterior part of the brain) cerebr/o cerebrum (largest part of the brain) cerumin/o cerumen cervic/o neck; cervix (neck of uterus)
- chalasia relaxation
- chalasis relaxation cheil/o lip chem/o drug; chemical
- chezia defacation; elimination of wastes chir/o hand chlor/o green chlorhydr/o hydrochloric acid chol/e bile; gall cholangi/o bile; vessel cholecyst/o gallbladder choledoch/o common bile duct cholesterol/o cholesterol chondr/o cartilage chore/o dance chori/o chorion (outermost membrane of the fetus) chorion/o chorion choroid/o choroid layer of eye
- chroia skin coloration chrom/o color chron/o time chrys/o gold chyl/o chyle chym/o to pour cib/o meal
- cide killing
- cidal pertaining to killing cine/o movement circum- around cirrh/o orange-yellow cis/o to cut
- clasis to break
- clast to break claustr/o enclosed space clavicul/o clavicle (collar bone) cleid/o clavicle clin/o to slope, bend
- clysis irrIgation; washing coagul/o coagulation (clotting)
- coccus berry-shaped bacterium coccyg/o coccyx (tail bone) cochle/o cochlea (inner part of ear)
- coimesis sleeping col/o colon (large intestine) coll/a glue colon/o colon (large intestine) colp/o vagina comat/o deep sleep comi/o to care for
- coma deep sleep
con- together; with coni/o dust conjunctiv/o conjuctiva (lines of eyelids) consci/o awareness, aware constrict/o narrowing, binding
- constriction narrowing contra- against; opposite contus/o to bruise cor/o pupil core/o pupil corne/o cornea coron/o heart corpor/o body cortic/o cortex, outer region cost/o rib cox/o hip crani/o skull cras/o mixture; temperament crin/o secrete
- crine to secrete; separate
- crit to separtate critic/o crisis, dangerous cry/o cold crypt/o hidden cubit/o elbow, forearm culd/o cul-de-sac cupr/o copper
- cusis hearing cutane/o skin cyan/o blue cycl/o ciliary body of eye; cycle; circle
- cyesis pregnancy cyst/o urinary bladder; cyst; sac of fluid cyt/o cell
- cyte cell
- cytosis condition of cells; slight increase in numbers dacry/o tear dacryoaden/o tear gland dacryocyst/o tear sac; lacriman sac dactyl/o fingers; toes de- lack of; down; less; removal of dem/o people dent/i tooth derm/o skin
- derma skin dermat/o skin desicc/o drying
- desis to bind; tie together dextr/o right dia- complete; through diaphor/o sweat
- dilation widening; stretching; expanding dilat/o to enlarge, expand dipl/o double dips/o thirst dis- apart, to separate dist/o far; distant
esophag/o esophagus esthes/o nervous sensation esthesi/o nervous sensation
- esthesia nervous sensation estr/o female ethm/o sieve eti/o cause eu- good; normal
- eurysm widening ex- out; away from exanthemat/o rash exo- out; away from extra- outside faci/o face
- facient to cause, make happen fasci/o fascia (membrane supporting muscles) febr/i fever femor/o femur (thigh bone)
- ferent to carry ferr/i, ferr/o iron fet/o fetus fibr/o fiber fibros/o fibrous connective tissue fibul/o fibula
- fication process of making
- fida split fil/i, fil/o, filament/o threat, threadlike five pent-, penta-, quinque- flav/o yellow flex/o to bend fluor/o luminous follicul/o follicle; small sac fore- before, in front
- form resembling; in the shape of four quadri, tetra- fovea/o small pit or depression frig/o, frigid/o cold funct/o performance fung/i fungus; mushroom (organism lacking chlorophyll) furc/o forking; branching fusc/o dark brown
- fusion to pour; to come together galact/o milk ganglion/o ganglion; collection of nerve cell bodies gastr/o stomach gel/o to freeze, congeal gemell/o twins
- gen substance that produces
- genesis producing; forming
- genic produced by or in geni/o chin genit/o reproduction ge/o earth, soil ger/o old age geront/o old age gest/o pregnancy gester/o pregnancy
gigant/o huge gingiv/o gum glauc/o gray gli/o glial cells; neuroglial cells
- globin protein
- globulin protein glomerul/o glomerulus gloss/o tongue gluc/o glucose; sugar glyc/o glucose; sugar glycogen/o glycogen; animal starch glycos/o glucose; sugar gnath/o jaw gnos/o knowledge gon/o seed gonad/o sex glands goni/o angle
- grade to go
- gram record granul/o granule(s)
- graph instrument for recording graph/o writing
- graphy process of recording gravid/o pregnancy
- gravida pregnant woman gynec/o woman; female gyr/o circle, spiral half demi, hemi, semi hallucin/o hallucination hapl/o simple, single helc/o ulcer heli/o sun
- helminth worm hem/o blood hemat/o blood hemi- half hemoglobin/o hemoglobin hepat/o liver heredo- heredity herni/o hernia
- hexia habit hidr/o sweat hirsut/o hairy hirund/i leech hist/o tissue histi/o tissue holo- entire, complete home/o sameness; unchanging; constant hormon/o hormone hymen/o hymen humer/o humerous hydr/o water hygr/o moisture hyper- above; excessive hypn/o sleep hypo- deficient; below; under; less than normal hypophys/o pituitary gland
kinesi/o movement
- kinesis movement klept/o to steal koil/o hollow, concave, depressed kraur/o dry kym/o waves kyph/o humpback
- labile unstable, perishable labi/o lip lacrim/o tear; tear duct; lacrimal duct lact/o milk lal/o, - lalia speech, babble lamin/o lamina lampr/o clear lapar/o abdominal wall; abdomen
- lapse to slide, fall, sag laryng/o larynx (voice box) later/o side lecith/o yolk, ovum lei/o smooth leiomy/o smooth (visceral) muscle
- lemma sheath; covering lepid/o plakes, scales lepr/o leprosy
- lepsy seizure lept/o thin, slender
- leptic to seize, take hold of leth/o death leuk/o white levo- left lex/o word; phrase
- lexia word; phrase lien/o spleen ligament/o ligament ligat/o binding, tying lim/o hunger lingu/o tongue lip/o fat; lipid
- lipsis omit, fail
- listhesis condition of stones lith/o stone, calculus
- lithotomy incision (for removal) of a stone lob/o lobe logad/o whites of the eyes
- logist specialist log/o study
- logy study (process of) loph/o ridge lord/o curve; swayback lox/o oblique, slanting
- lucent to shine lumb/o lower back; loin lumin/o light lute/o yellow lux/o to slide lymph/o lymph ly/o to dissolve, loosen
lymphaden/o limph gland (node) lymphangi/o lymph vessel
- lysis breakdown; separation; destruction; loosening
- lytic to reduce, destroy, separate; breakdown macro- large mal- bad
- malacia softening malleol/o malleolus mamm/o breast mandibul/o mandible (lower jaw bone)
- mania obsessive preoccupation
- masesis mastication, chewing mast/o breast mastoid/o mastoid process (behind the ear) maxill/o maxilla (upper jaw bone) meat/o meatus (opening) medi/o middle medic/o to heal, healing mediastin/o mediastinum medi/o middle medull/o medulla (inner section); middle; soft, marrow mega- large
- megaly enlargement melan/o black mel/o limb, limbs men/o menses; menstruation mening/o meninges (membranes covering the spinal cord & brain) meningi/o meninges ment/o mind; chin mer/o part meso- middle meta- change; beyond metacarp/o metacarpals (hand bones) metatars/o metatarsals (foot bones)
- meter measure method/o procedure, technique metr/o uterus (womb); measure metri/o uterus (womb)
- metry process of measuring mi/o smaller; less micro- small
- mimesis imitation, simulation
- mimetic mimic; copy
- mission to send
- mnesia memory mogi- difficult mon/o one; single morph/o shape; form mort/o death
- mortem death
- motor movement muc/o mucus mucos/o mucous membrane (mucosa) multi- many muscul/o muscle mut/a genetic change
opisth/o backward, behind
- opsia vision condition
- opsy view of opt/o eye; vision optic/o eye; vision
- or one who or/o mouth orch/o testis orchi/o testis orchid/o testis
- orexia appetite organ/o organ orth/o straight osche/o scrotum
- ose full of; pertaining to; sugar
- osis condition, usually abnormal
- osmia smell osphresi/o sense of smell ossicul/o ossicle (small bone) oste/o bone
- ostosis condition of bone ot/o ear
- otia ear condition
- ous pertaining to ov/o egg ovari/o ovary ovul/o egg ox/o oxygen
- oxia oxygen oxy- swift; sharpp; acid oxysm/o sudden pachy- heavy; thick
- pagus conjoined twins palat/o palate (roof of mouth) pale/o old pali- recurrence, repetition palliat/o to soothe, relieve palpebr/o eyelid palp/o, palpat/o to touch gently palpit/o flutter, throbbing pan- all pancreat/o pancreas pant/o all, whole papill/o nipple-like; optic disc papul/o papule, pimple par- other than; abnormal para- near; beside; abnormal; apart from; along the side of
- para to bear, bring forth (live births)
- parous to bear, bring forth parasit/o parasite parathyroid/o parathyroid glands
- paresis weakness
- pareunia sexual intercourse
- partum birth; labor patell/a patella patell/o patela
path/o disease
- pathy disease; emotion pector/o chest pedicul/o louse ped/o child; foot pelv/i pelvis; hip region pelv/o pelvis; hip region pend/o to hang
- penia deficiency
- pepsia digestion per- through percuss/o to tap peri- surrounding perine/o perineum peritone/o peritoneum per/o deformed, maimed perone/o fibula perspir/o breathe through petr/o stone, petrous region of temporal bone
- pexy fixation; to put in place phac/o lens of eye phag/o eat; swallow
- phage eat; swallow
- phagia eating; swallowing phak/o lens of eye phalang/o phalanges (of fingers and toes) phall/o penis phaner/o visible, apparent pharmac/o drug pharmaceut/o drug pharyng/o throat (pharynx) phas/o speech
- phasia speech phe/o dusky; dark
- pheresis removal phil/o like; love; attraction to
- phil attraction for
- philia attraction for phim/o muzzle phleb/o vein phob/o fear
- phobia fear phon/o voice; sound
- phonia voice; sound
- phor/o to bear
- phoresis carrying; transmission
- phoria to bear, carry; feeling (mental state) phosphat/o phosphate phot/o light phren/o diaphragm; mind
- phthisis wasting away
- phylaxis protection phyl/o race, species, type physi/o nature; function physic/o physical, natural
- physis to grow phys/o air, gas
pseudo- false psor/o itching psych/o mind psychr/o cold
- pterygium abnormality of the conjunctiva
- ptosis droop; sag; prolapse; protrude ptyal/o saliva
- ptysis spitting pub/o pubis (anterior part of hip bone) pulmon/o lung puls/o, pulsat/o to beat, beating
- puncture to pierce a surface pupill/o pupil (dark center of eye) purpur/i purple purul/o pus py/o pus pycn/o thick, dense pyel/o renal pelvis pyl/e portal vein pylor/o pylorus; pyloric sphincter pyr/o fever; fire pyret/o fever pyrex/o fever quadri- four, square qual- quality, characteristic quant- how much quasi- to some degree, as if quart- fourth, four quer- to seek, search quercin oak quint- fifth, five quota- how many rachi/o spinal column; vertebrae radi/o x-rays; radioactivity; radius (lateral lower arm bone) radicul/o nerve root re- back; again; backward
- receptor, - ceptor receiver rect/o rectum ren/o kidney respir/o breath resuscit/o to revive reticul/o network retin/o retina retro- behind; back; backward rhabd/o rod rhabdomy/o striated (skeletal) muscle rhe/o flow, current, stream rheumat/o watery flow rhin/o nose rhiz/o root rhod/o red, rosy rhytid/o wrinkle roentgen/o x-rays rose/o rosy rot/o, rotat/o turn, revolve
- rrhage bursting forth (of blood)
- rrhagia bursting forth (of blood)
- rrhaphy suture
- rrhea flow; discharge
- rrhexis rupture rhythm/o rhythm rubr/o, rubr/i red sacchar/o sugar sacr/o sacrum salping/o fallopian tube; auditory (eustachian) tube
- salpinx fallopian tube; oviduct sangu/i blood sanit/a health sapr/o rotten, decay sarc/o flesh (connective tissue) scapul/o scapula; shoulder blade
- schisis to split schist/o split, cleft schiz/o split sinistr/o left scint/i spark scirrh/o hard scler/o sclera (white of eye)
- sclerosis hardening scolec/o worm scoli/o crooked; bent
- scope instrument for visual examination
- scopy visual examination scot/o darkness seb/o sebum sebace/o sebum sect/o to cut semi- half semin/i semen; seed
- sepsis putrefaction seps/o infection sept/o partition ser/o serum, serous seven hepta-, sept-, septi- sial/o saliva sialaden/o salivary gland sider/o iron sigmoid/o sigmoid colon silic/o glass sinus/o sinus
- sis state of; condition sit/o food six hex-, hexa-, sex- skelet/o skeleton
- sol solution somat/o body
- some body somn/o sleep
- somnia sleep son/o sound
- spadia to tear; cut span/o scanty, scarce
- spasm sudden contraction of muscles
systol/o contraction tachy- fast tal/o talus tars/o tarsus; hindfoot or ankle tauto- identical, same tax/o order; coordination techn/o skill, art tel/o complete tele/o distant temp/o, tempor/o period of time, the temples ten deca- ten/o tendon tendin/o tendon
- tension pressure tens/o stretched, strained tephr/o gray (ashen) terat/o monster; malformed fetus test/o testis tetan/o tetanus tetra- four thalam/o thalamus thalass/o sea thanat/o death the/o put; place thec/o sheath thel/o nipple therapeut/o treatment
- therapy treatment therm/o heat thorac/o chest
- thorax chest; pleural cavity three tri- thromb/o clot
- tropia to turn thym/o thymus gland
- thymia mind (condition of)
- thymic pertaining to mind thyr/o thyroid gland; sheild thyroid/o thyroid gland tibi/o tibia (shin bone)
- tic pertaining to toc/o labor; birth
- tocia labor; birth (condition of)
- tocin labor; birth (a substance for) tom/o to cut
- tome instrument to cut
- tomy process of cutting ton/o tension tone/o to stretch tonsill/o tonsil top/o place; position; location torso twisted tox/o poison toxic/o poison trache/o trachea (windpipe) trans- across; through traumat/o trauma, injury, wound
trem/o, tremul/o shaking, trembling
- tresia opening tri- three trich/o hair trigon/o trigone (area within the bladder) tri/o to sort out, sorting
- tripsy to crush troph/o nourishment; development
- trophy nourishment; development (condition of)
- tropia to turn
- tropic turning
- tropin stimulate; act on tub/o tube tumesc/o, - tumescence swelling tympan/o tympanic membrane (eardrum); middle ear
- type classification; picture typhl/o cecum, blindness
- ule little; small uln/o ulna (middle lower arm bone) ul/o scar, scarring ultra- beyond; excess
- um structure; tissue; thing umbilic/o umbilicus (navel) ungu/o nail uni- one uran/o palate
- uresis urination ur/o urine; urinary tract ureter/o ureter urethr/o urethra
- uria urination; condition of urine uric/o urine condition urin/o urine
- us structure; thing uter/o uterus (womb) uve/o uvea, vascular layer of eye (iris, choroid, ciliary body) uvul/o uvula vaccin/o vaccine vag/o vagus nerve vagin/o vagina valv/o valve valvul/o valve varic/o varicose veins vas/o vessel; duct; vas deferens vascul/o vessel (blood) ven/o vein ven/i vein vener/o venereal (sexual contact) ventil/o to aerate, oxygenate ventr/o belly side of body ventricul/o ventricle (of heart or brain) venul/o venule (small vein) verm/i worm verruc/i wart
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