MedicalTerminology DB

The language toolkit

Medical word parts, and the terms built from them

Most medical terms are assembled from a prefix, a root and a suffix. Learn the parts and you can read words you have never seen before. This is a reference to 223 of them — 66 prefixes, 87 combining forms and 70 suffixes — each with its meaning, its origin and a real term from this glossary that uses it.

Prefixhypo-below, deficient
+
Rootglycsugar, glucose
+
Suffix-emiablood condition
=
Complete termhypoglycemialow blood glucose

Read the ending first

An unfamiliar term comes apart in a fixed order, and it is not left to right. Take splenomegaly:

  1. 1
    The suffix, at the end. -megaly means enlargement. Whatever else the word says, it is describing something getting bigger.
  2. 2
    The prefix, at the front, if there is one. There is none here, so nothing modifies the sense.
  3. 3
    The root, in the middle. splen/o is the spleen. Put back together: enlargement of the spleen.

The vowel between parts is usually an o, and it is there to make the word sayable. It is dropped when the next part already begins with a vowel, which is why hepatitis is not hepat-o-itis.

Reference table

Prefixes

A prefix sits at the front and modifies what follows: where something is, how much of it there is, how fast, or whether it is there at all.

Prefix Meaning Example from this glossary Terms
a-, an- Greek without, not, absent anemia —
ab- Latin away from — —
ad- Latin toward, near — —
ambi- Latin both, both sides Ambien 1 terms
ana- Greek up, back, again — —
ante- Latin before, in front of anterior 5 terms
anti- Greek against, opposing antibody 59 terms
auto- Greek self, own autoimmune disease 9 terms
bi- Latin two, twice, both bilateral —
brady- Greek slow bradycardia 1 terms
cata- Greek down, downward cataract 2 terms
circum- Latin around circumcision 1 terms
co-, con- Latin with, together congenital —
contra- Latin against, opposite contraindication 5 terms
de- Latin down, away from, removal of dehydration —
dia- Greek through, across, complete diagnosis 13 terms
dis- Latin apart, separation, reversal disorder 16 terms
dys- Greek difficult, painful, disordered dysplasia 11 terms
ecto- Greek outside, outer ectopic pregnancy 3 terms
endo- Greek within, inner endoscopy 25 terms
epi- Greek upon, above, over epidermis 10 terms
eu- Greek good, normal, well euphoria —
ex-, exo- Greek and Latin out, outside, away from excision 2 terms
extra- Latin outside, beyond extravasation 15 terms
hemi- Greek half, one side hemilaryngectomy 2 terms
hetero- Greek different, other heterogeneous 4 terms
homo-, homeo- Greek same, alike, unchanging homeostasis 4 terms
hyper- Greek above normal, excessive hyperplasia 19 terms
hypo- Greek below normal, deficient, under hypoglycemia 14 terms
idio- Greek individual, of unknown cause idiopathic 4 terms
infra- Latin below, beneath infrared coagulation 2 terms
inter- Latin between, among interleukin 27 terms
intra- Latin within, inside intravenous 42 terms
iso- Greek equal, same isotope 9 terms
juxta- Latin next to, adjoining — none yet
macro- Greek large, long macrophage 2 terms
mal- Latin bad, poor, faulty malignant —
meso- Greek middle mesothelioma 3 terms
meta- Greek change, beyond, after metastatic 16 terms
micro- Greek small microcalcification 19 terms
mono- Greek one, single monoclonal antibody 4 terms
multi- Latin many, much multidrug resistance 14 terms
neo- Greek new neoadjuvant therapy 4 terms
non- Latin not noninvasive 25 terms
oligo- Greek few, scanty, too little oligodendroglioma 4 terms
pan- Greek all, entire — —
para- Greek beside, near, alongside, abnormal paraneoplastic syndrome 25 terms
per- Latin through, throughout percutaneous —
peri- Greek around, surrounding peritonitis 29 terms
poly- Greek many, much, excessive polymorphism 31 terms
post- Latin after, behind postoperative 7 terms
pre- Latin before, in front of precancerous —
pro- Greek and Latin before, forward, on behalf of prognosis —
quadri- Latin four — none yet
re- Latin back, again recurrence —
retro- Latin backward, behind retroperitoneal 7 terms
semi- Latin half, partly seminoma 5 terms
sub- Latin under, below, less than — —
super-, supra- Latin above, over, excessive — none yet
sym-, syn- Greek together, joined, with — —
tachy- Greek fast, rapid tachycardia 2 terms
tetra- Greek four tetracycline 4 terms
trans- Latin across, through transfusion 8 terms
tri- Greek and Latin three — —
ultra- Latin beyond, excessive — none yet
uni- Latin one — none yet

Reference table

Combining forms

The root carries the core meaning, almost always a body part, a substance or a function. It is written with the vowel that joins it to what comes next, which is why these are listed as cardi/o rather than cardi.

Combining form Meaning Example from this glossary Terms
aden/o Greek gland adenocarcinoma search
adip/o Latin fat — search
adren/o Latin adrenal gland adrenalectomy search
angi/o Greek vessel angiogenesis search
arteri/o Greek artery arteriography search
arthr/o Greek joint arthritis search
audi/o Latin hearing — search
bi/o Greek life, living tissue biopsy —
blephar/o Greek eyelid — search
bronch/o Greek bronchus, airway bronchoscopy search
carcin/o Greek cancer, carcinoma carcinogen search
cardi/o Greek heart tachycardia search
cephal/o Greek head hydrocephalus search
cerebr/o Latin cerebrum, brain cerebrospinal fluid search
chol/e, chol/o Greek bile, gall cholelith search
chondr/o Greek cartilage chondrosarcoma search
col/o, colon/o Greek colon, large intestine colonoscopy search
cost/o Latin rib — search
crani/o Greek skull craniotomy search
cutane/o, derm/o Latin skin cutaneous search
cyan/o Greek blue cyanosis search
cyst/o Greek bladder, fluid-filled sac cystoscopy search
cyt/o Greek cell cytotoxic —
dent/o, odont/o Latin and Greek tooth — search
derm/o, dermat/o Greek skin dermatitis search
duoden/o Latin duodenum duodenum search
encephal/o Greek brain encephalopathy search
enter/o Greek intestine, small intestine gastroenterologist search
erythr/o Greek red erythrocyte search
esophag/o Greek esophagus esophagectomy search
gastr/o Greek stomach gastrectomy search
gluc/o, glyc/o Greek sugar, glucose hyperglycemia search
gynec/o Greek woman, female gynecologic oncologist search
hem/o, hemat/o Greek blood hematoma search
hepat/o Greek liver hepatitis search
hist/o Greek tissue histology search
hydr/o Greek water, fluid hydrocephalus search
hyster/o Greek uterus hysterectomy search
immun/o Latin immune, protection immunotherapy search
lapar/o Greek abdomen, abdominal wall laparotomy search
laryng/o Greek larynx, voice box laryngectomy search
leuk/o Greek white leukocyte search
lip/o Greek fat, lipid liposarcoma search
lith/o Greek stone, calculus cholelith search
lymph/o Latin lymph, lymphatic tissue lymphedema search
mamm/o, mast/o Latin and Greek breast mastectomy search
melan/o Greek black, dark melanoma search
mening/o Greek meninges, membranes around the brain meningitis search
my/o Greek muscle myalgia —
myel/o Greek bone marrow, spinal cord myelosuppression search
nas/o, rhin/o Latin and Greek nose — search
necr/o Greek death of tissue necrosis search
nephr/o, ren/o Greek and Latin kidney nephrectomy search
neur/o Greek nerve, nervous system neuropathy search
ocul/o, ophthalm/o Latin and Greek eye ophthalmologist search
onc/o Greek tumour, mass oncologist search
oophor/o Greek ovary oophorectomy search
orch/o, orchi/o Greek testis orchiectomy search
oste/o Greek bone osteosarcoma search
ot/o Greek ear otolaryngologist —
path/o Greek disease, suffering pathologist search
pharyng/o Greek pharynx, throat pharyngeal cancer search
phleb/o Greek vein — search
phren/o Greek diaphragm, mind schizophrenia search
pneum/o, pulmon/o Greek and Latin lung, air, breathing pulmonary search
proct/o Greek rectum, anus proctoscopy search
psych/o Greek mind psychosocial search
py/o Greek pus — —
pyel/o Greek renal pelvis intravenous pyelogram search
radi/o Latin x-ray, radiation radiology search
rect/o Latin rectum colorectal search
salping/o Greek fallopian tube, eustachian tube bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy search
sarc/o Greek flesh, connective tissue osteosarcoma search
splen/o Greek spleen splenectomy search
spondyl/o, vertebr/o Greek and Latin vertebra, spinal column — search
stomat/o Greek mouth — search
thorac/o Greek chest, thorax thoracentesis search
thromb/o Greek clot, clotting thrombocytopenia search
thyr/o, thyroid/o Greek thyroid gland thyroidectomy search
trache/o Greek trachea, windpipe tracheostomy search
ur/o, urin/o Greek and Latin urine, urinary tract genitourinary system search
uter/o Latin uterus, womb extrauterine pregnancy search
vas/o Latin vessel, duct — search
ven/o Latin vein intravenous search
viscer/o Latin internal organs — search
xanth/o Greek yellow — search
xer/o Greek dry xerostomia search

Reference table

Suffixes

The suffix ends the word and names what is being described: a condition, a procedure, a measurement, or a specialty. It is the part to read first.

Suffix Meaning Example from this glossary Terms
-ac, -al, -ar, -ary, -eal, -ic Greek and Latin pertaining to, relating to cardiac —
-algia Greek pain neuralgia 6 terms
-asthenia Greek weakness, loss of strength — 1 terms
-blast Greek immature or forming cell lymphoblast 3 terms
-carcinoma Greek cancer arising in epithelial tissue adenocarcinoma 35 terms
-cele Greek hernia, protrusion, swelling — none yet
-centesis Greek surgical puncture to withdraw fluid thoracentesis 2 terms
-cyte Greek cell erythrocyte 22 terms
-desis Greek surgical binding or fusion pleurodesis 1 terms
-dynia Greek pain thoracodynia 1 terms
-ectasis, -ectasia Greek dilation, widening, expansion atelectasis 3 terms
-ectomy Greek surgical removal, excision mastectomy 90 terms
-emesis Greek vomiting — 1 terms
-emia Greek condition of the blood anemia 53 terms
-esthesia Greek sensation, feeling anesthesia 8 terms
-genesis Greek formation, origin, production angiogenesis 5 terms
-genic Greek producing, causing, originating in emetogenic 5 terms
-gram Greek the record or image produced mammogram 23 terms
-graph Greek instrument that records xeroradiograph 1 terms
-graphy Greek the process of recording or imaging mammography 27 terms
-ia Greek condition, state — —
-iasis Greek abnormal condition, presence of candidiasis 3 terms
-iatry Greek medical treatment, field of medicine — none yet
-ion, -ation Latin process, action, or its result — —
-ism Greek condition, state, process hyperthyroidism —
-itis Greek inflammation hepatitis 53 terms
-lepsy Greek seizure, sudden attack epilepsy 1 terms
-logist Greek specialist in a field of study oncologist 26 terms
-logy Greek study of, body of knowledge oncology 16 terms
-lysis Greek breakdown, destruction, separation dialysis 11 terms
-malacia Greek abnormal softening — none yet
-megaly Greek enlargement splenomegaly 3 terms
-meter Greek instrument that measures diameter 4 terms
-oid Greek resembling, like lymphoid —
-oma Greek tumour, mass, swelling lymphoma 196 terms
-opia, -opsia Greek condition of vision — none yet
-opsy Greek viewing, examination lung biopsy 18 terms
-osis Greek abnormal condition, increase necrosis 71 terms
-ostomy Greek surgically created lasting opening colostomy 6 terms
-otomy, -tomy Greek cutting into, incision craniotomy 6 terms
-paresis Greek partial or slight paralysis — none yet
-pathy Greek disease, disorder neuropathy 9 terms
-penia Greek deficiency, abnormally low count neutropenia 14 terms
-pexy Greek surgical fixation, putting in place — none yet
-phagia, -phagy Greek eating, swallowing dysphagia 2 terms
-phasia Greek speech aphasia 1 terms
-philia Greek attraction to, affinity for hemophilia 2 terms
-phobia Greek fear of, aversion to photophobia 2 terms
-plasia Greek formation, growth, development hyperplasia 16 terms
-plasty Greek surgical repair or reconstruction angioplasty 2 terms
-plegia Greek paralysis — none yet
-pnea Greek breathing dyspnea 4 terms
-poiesis Greek formation, production hematopoiesis 1 terms
-ptosis Greek drooping, downward displacement — 1 terms
-rrhage, -rrhagia Greek bursting forth, heavy bleeding hemorrhage 2 terms
-rrhaphy Greek surgical suturing — none yet
-rrhea Greek flow, discharge diarrhea 2 terms
-rrhexis Greek rupture — none yet
-sclerosis Greek hardening atherosclerosis 2 terms
-scope Greek instrument for viewing endoscope 24 terms
-scopy Greek visual examination with an instrument colonoscopy 25 terms
-spasm Greek sudden involuntary contraction bronchospasm 2 terms
-stasis Greek stopping, controlling, standing still homeostasis 15 terms
-stenosis Greek narrowing, stricture — none yet
-therapy Greek treatment chemotherapy 127 terms
-thorax Greek chest, pleural cavity pneumothorax 1 terms
-tome Greek instrument for cutting — none yet
-tripsy Greek crushing — none yet
-trophy Greek development, nourishment, growth hemihypertrophy 3 terms
-uria Greek condition of the urine hematuria 2 terms

How the numbers on this page were worked out

The counts are measured, not estimated. A prefix or a suffix sits at one end of a word, so the entries carrying it can be found reliably: 1474 of the glossary's entries are matched to a word part this way. The count is recalculated whenever the glossary is rebuilt.

Combining forms are shown without a count, on purpose. A root can appear anywhere inside a word, and matching on that alone is not accurate enough to publish a number from — the letters of chol/e, meaning bile, also sit inside psychological. Rather than print a total we do not trust, each combining form links to a glossary search so you can see the actual terms.

“None yet” is a real answer. It marks a word part that is standard medical vocabulary but that no entry in this glossary currently uses. It is not a gap in the language; it is a gap here, and it is left visible rather than hidden.

15 of these word parts have a full entry of their own, with an etymology, a clinical note and a list of every glossary term built on them. Where one exists, the word part itself is a link.

For learning, not diagnosis. This glossary provides general educational information and is not a substitute for advice from a qualified healthcare professional. If you may be experiencing a medical emergency, contact local emergency services.