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Medical prefixes, suffixes, and combining forms
A
| Prefix/Suffix |
Meaning |
| a-, an- |
not, without, less |
| ab |
away from |
| –ac |
pertaining to |
| acous/acouso- |
hearing |
| acr/acro- |
extremity, topmost |
| –acusis |
hearing condition |
| –ad |
toward, in the direction of |
| ad- |
increase, adherence, motion toward, very |
| aden/adeno- |
gland |
| adip/adipo- |
fat |
| adren/adreno- |
gland |
| –aemia |
blood condition (BrE) |
| aer/aero- |
air, gas |
| aesthesio- |
sensation (BrE) |
| –al |
pertaining to |
| alge/algesi- |
pain |
| –algia |
pain |
| algio/algo- |
pain |
| ambi- |
around, on all sides, both |
| an- |
not, without |
| an/o |
anus |
| angi- |
blood vessel |
| ankyl/ankylo- |
crooked, stiff |
| ante- |
before |
| anti- |
against, opposed to |
| apo- |
separated from, derived from |
| arteri/arterio- |
artery |
| arthr/arthro- |
joint, articulation |
| articul/articulo- |
joint |
| –ary |
pertaining to |
| –ase |
enzyme |
| –asthenia |
weakness |
| –ation |
process |
| auri- |
ears (aural) |
| aut/auto- |
self, same |
B
| bacteri/bacterio- |
bacteria |
| bi- |
twice, double |
| bio- |
life |
| blast/blasto- |
germ or bud |
| bleph/blepharo- |
eyelid |
| brachi/brachio- |
arm |
| brady- |
slow |
| bronch/bronchi- |
bronchus |
| bucc/bucco- |
cheek |
| burs/burso- |
bursa |
C
| carcin/carcino- |
cancer |
| cardi/cardio- |
heart, esophageal opening of stomach |
| cata- |
down |
| –cele |
pouching, hernia |
| –centesis |
surgical puncture for aspiration |
| cephal/cephalo- |
head |
| chem/chemo- |
chemistry, drug |
| chlor/chloro- |
green |
| chol- |
bile |
| chondrio/chondro- |
cartilage, gristle, granule, granular |
| chrom/chromato- |
color |
| –cidal/cide |
killing, destroying |
| circum- |
around |
| cis- |
on this side |
| co- |
with, together, in association |
| col/colo/colono- |
colon |
| com- |
with, together |
| contra |
against |
| cor- |
with, together |
| costo |
ribs |
| crani/cranio- |
cranium, skull |
| cry/cryo- |
cold |
| cycl- |
circle, cycle |
| cyst/cysti/cysto- |
bladder or sac |
| cyt/cyto- |
cell |
| –cyte |
cell |
D
| dacrio- |
tear |
| dactyl/dactylo- |
digit (finger or toe) |
| de- |
away from, cessation |
| derm/dermis/dermato- |
skin |
| –desis |
binding |
| dextr/dextro- |
right, on the right side |
| di- |
separation, two |
| dif- |
separation |
| dis- |
separation, taking apart |
| duodeno- |
duodenum |
| dynamo- |
force, energy |
| –dynia |
pain |
| dys- |
bad, difficult |
E
| –eal |
pertaining to |
| ec- |
out, away |
| ect- |
outer, outside |
| –ectasis |
expansion, dilation |
| ecto- |
outer, outside |
| –ectomy |
excision, removal |
| –emia |
blood condition (AmE) |
| –encephal/encephalo- |
brain |
| endo- |
internal |
| enter/entero- |
small intestine |
| epi- |
upon |
| erythr/erythro- |
red |
| –esophageal/esophago- |
gullet (AmE) |
| esthesio- |
sensation (AmE) |
| eu- |
good, well |
| ex- |
out of, away from |
| exo- |
exterior, outward |
| extra- |
outside
edopotra- ||stiff
|
F
| fibr/fibro- |
fiber |
| –form |
in the form or shape of |
G
| –-galact/galacto- |
milk |
| –gen |
origin or production |
| gloss/glosso- |
tongue |
| glott/glotto- |
opening |
| gluco- |
glucose |
| glyco- |
sugar |
| gnath/gnatho- |
jaw |
| –gram |
recording |
| –graph |
recording instrument |
| –graphy |
process of recording |
gyn/gyno-
gynae/gynaeco-
gyne/gyneco- |
woman, also:
(BrE}
(AmE} |
H
| haem/haema/haemat/haemato/haemo– |
blood (BrE) |
| hem/hema/hemat/hemato- |
blood (AmE) |
| hemi- |
one-half |
| hemo- |
blood (AmE) |
| hepat/hepatico/hepato- |
liver |
| hidr/hidro- |
sweat |
| hist/histio/histo- |
tissue |
| hydr/hydro- |
water |
| hyper- |
above normal, excessive |
| hypo- |
below normal, deficient |
| hyster/hystero- |
uterus |
I
| –ia/iasis |
condition |
| –iatrics |
treatment |
| –iatry |
treatment |
| –ic |
pertaining to |
| –icle |
small |
| –ics |
organized knowledge, treatment |
| idio- |
self, one's own |
| ileo- |
ileum |
| infra- |
below |
| inter- |
between, among |
| intra- |
within |
| irid/irido- |
iris |
| ischi/ischio- |
ischium |
| –ism |
condition, disease |
| –ismus |
spasm, contraction |
| iso- |
equal, like |
| –ist |
one who specializes in |
| –ite |
the nature of, resembling |
| –itis |
inflammation |
| –ium |
structure, tissue |
K
| karyo- |
nucleus |
| kerat/kerato- |
cornea (eye or skin) |
| kin/kine/kinesi/kinesio- |
movement |
| kino- |
movement |
| kyph/kypho- |
humped |
L
| lacrim/lacrimo- |
tear |
| lact/lacti/lacto- |
milk |
| laryng/laryngo- |
larynx |
| latero- |
lateral |
| lei/leio- |
smooth |
| –lepsis/lepsy |
seizure |
| lepto- |
light, slender |
| leuk/leuko- |
white |
| linguo- |
tongue |
| lip/lipo- |
fat |
| lith/litho- |
stone, calculus |
| log- |
speech |
| –logist |
one who specializes in study or treatment of |
| logo- |
speech |
| –logy |
study of |
| lymph/lympho- |
lymph |
| lys-/lyso-/ -lytic |
dissolution |
M
| macr/macro- |
large, long |
| –malacia |
softening |
| mast/masto- |
breast |
| meg/mega- |
large |
| megal/megalo- |
large |
| –megaly |
large |
| melan/melano- |
black |
| mening/meningo- |
meninges |
| mes/meso- |
middle |
| meta- |
after, behind |
| –meter |
instrument for measuring |
| –metry |
process of measuring |
| micr/micro- |
smallness, one-millionth |
| mon/mono- |
single |
| morph/morpho- |
form, shape |
| muscul/musculo- |
muscle |
| my/myo- |
muscle |
| myc/myco- |
fungus |
| myel/myelo- |
bone marrow, spinal cord |
| myring/myringo- |
eardrum |
| myx/myxo- |
mucus |
N
| necr/necro- |
death |
| neo- |
new |
| nephr/nephro- |
kidney |
| neur/neuri/neuro- |
nerve |
| normo- |
normal |
O
| oculo- |
eye |
| odont/odonto- |
tooth |
| odyn/odyno- |
pain |
| –oesophageal/oesophago- |
gullet (BrE) |
| –oid |
resemblance to |
| olig/oligo- |
few, little |
| –oma |
tumor |
| –omata |
plural of -oma |
| onco- |
tumor, bulk, volume |
| onych/onycho- |
fingernail, toenail |
| oo- |
egg, ovary |
| oophor/oophoro- |
ovary |
| ophthalm/ophthalmo- |
eye |
| orchi/orchido/orchio- |
testis |
| orth/ortho- |
straight, normal, correct |
| –osis |
a condition,disease or increase |
| osseo- |
bony |
| ossi- |
bone |
| ost/oste/osteo- |
bone |
| ot/oto- |
ear |
| –ous |
pertaining to |
| ovari/ovario/ovi/ovo- |
ovary |
| oxo- |
addition of oxygen |
| oxy- |
sharp, acid, acute, oxygen |
P
 |
| pachy- |
thick |
| pan/pant/panto- |
all, entire |
| para- |
alongside of, abnormal |
| –paresis |
slight paralysis |
| path/patho- |
disease |
| –pathy |
disease |
| pelv/pelvi/pelvo- |
hip bone |
| –penia |
deficiency |
| per- |
through |
| peri- |
around, about |
| –pexy |
fixation |
| phaco- |
lens-shaped |
| –phage/phagia |
eating, devouring |
| phago- |
eating, devouring |
| –phagy |
eating, devouring |
| pharmaco- |
drug, medicine |
| pharyng/pharyngo- |
pharynx |
| –phil/philia |
attraction for |
| phleb/phlebo- |
vein |
| phob/phobo- |
exaggerated fear, sensitivity |
| phon/phono- |
sound |
| phos- |
light |
| phot/photo- |
light |
| phren/phreni- |
diaphragm |
| phrenico/phreno- |
diaphragm |
| –plasia |
formation, development |
| plasty |
surgical repair, reconstruction |
| –plegia |
paralysis |
| pleur/pleura/pleuro- |
rib, pleura |
| pneum/pneuma- |
air, lung |
| pneumat/pneumato- |
air, lung |
| pod/podo- |
foot |
| –poiesis |
production |
| poly- |
multiplicity |
| por/poro- |
pore, pourous |
| post- |
after, behind, posterior |
| pre- |
anterior, before |
| presby/presbyo- |
old age |
| pro- |
before, forward |
| proct/procto- |
anus, rectum |
| psych/psyche/psycho- |
mind |
| –ptosis |
falling, downward placement |
| pyel/pyelo- |
pelvis |
| pyo- |
pus |
| pyro- |
fever |
Q
R
| rachi/rachio |
spine |
| radio- |
radiation, radius |
| re- |
again, backward |
| rect/recto- |
rectum |
| ren/reno- |
kidney |
| reticul/reticulo- |
net |
| retro- |
backward, behind |
| rhabd/rhabdo- |
rod shaped, striated |
| rhin/rhino- |
nose |
| –rrhage |
burst forth |
| –rrhagia |
discharge |
| –rrhaphy |
surgical suturing |
| –rrhea |
flowing, discharge |
| –rrhexis |
rupture |
S
| salping/salpingo- |
tube |
| sarco- |
muscular, fleshlike |
| schisto- |
split, cleft |
| schiz/schizo- |
split, cleft, division |
| scler/sclero- |
hardness |
| scoli/scolio- |
twisted |
| –scope |
instrument for viewing |
| –scopy |
use of instrument for viewing |
| semi- |
one-half, partly |
| sial/sialo- |
saliva, salivary gland |
| sigmoid/sigmoido- |
sigmoid, sigmoid colon |
| sinistr/sinistro- |
left, left side |
| –sis |
condition of |
| sito- |
food, grain |
| somat- somatico- somato- |
body, bodily |
| spasmo- |
spasm |
| sperma- spermato- spermo- |
semen, spermatozoa |
| splanchn- splanchni- splanchno- |
viscera |
| splen/spleno- |
spleen |
| spondyl/spondylo- |
vertebra |
| –stasis |
stop, stand |
| –staxis |
dripping, trickling |
| steno- |
narrowness, constriction |
| stheno- |
strength, force, power |
| stom/stoma- |
mouth |
| stomat/stomato- |
mouth |
| –stomy |
creation of opening |
| sub- |
beneath |
| super- |
in excess, above, superior |
| supra- |
above, excessive |
| sy/syl- |
together |
| sym- |
together |
| syn- |
together |
| sys- |
together |
T
| tachy- |
fast |
| –tension/–tensive |
pressure (of blood) |
| thel/thelo- |
nipples |
| therm/thermo- |
heat |
| thorac/thoracico/thoraco- |
chest, thorax |
| thromb/thrombo- |
blood clot |
| thyr/thyro- |
thyroid gland |
| –tic |
pertaining to |
| toco- |
childbirth |
| –tome |
cutting instrument |
| –tomy |
cutting operation |
| tono- |
tone, tension, pressure |
| –tony |
tension |
| top/topo- |
place, topical |
| tox/toxi/toxico/toxo- |
toxin, poison |
| trache/tracheo- |
trachea |
| trans- |
across, through, beyond |
| trich/trichi/trichia/tricho- |
hair, hairlike structure |
| –tripsy |
crushing |
| –trophy |
tissue |
| tympan/tympano- |
eardrum |
U
| –ula/ule |
small |
| ultra- |
beyond, excessive |
| uni- |
one |
| uri/uric/urico- |
uric acid |
| ur/uro- |
urine |
V
| varic/varico- |
swollen or twisted vein |
| vas-/vaso- |
duct, blood vessel |
| vasculo- |
blood vessel |
| vesic/vesico- |
vesicle |
X
| xanth/xantho- |
yellow, yellowish |
Y
| –y |
condition or process of |
Z
See also
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This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Medical_prefixes,_suffixes,_and_combining_forms". A list of authors is available in Wikipedia.
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