Medical prefixes, suffixes, and combining forms

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## Contents

* 1 A
* 2 B
* 3 C
* 4 D
* 5 E
* 6 F
* 7 G
* 8 H
* 9 I
* 10 K
* 11 L
* 12 M
* 13 N
* 14 O
* 15 P
* 16 Q
* 17 R
* 18 S
* 19 T
* 20 U
* 21 V
* 22 X
* 23 Y
* 24 Z
* 25 See also

## A

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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

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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

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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
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

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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

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-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

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fibr/fibro- | fiber

|

-form | in the form or shape of

## G

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--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

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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

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-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

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## K

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karyo- | nucleus

|

kerat/kerato- | cornea (eye or skin)
kin/kine/kinesi/kinesio- | movement
kino- | movement
kyph/kypho- | humped

## L

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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

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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

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necr/necro- | death

|

neo- | new
nephr/nephro- | kidney
neur/neuri/neuro- | nerve
normo- | normal

## O

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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

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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

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quadr/quadri- | four

|

## R

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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

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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

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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

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-ula/ule | small

|

ultra- | beyond, excessive
uni- | one
uri/uric/urico- | uric acid
ur/uro- | urine

## V

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varic/varico- | swollen or twisted vein

|

vas-/vaso- | duct, blood vessel
vasculo- | blood vessel
vesic/vesico- | vesicle

## X

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xanth/xantho- | yellow, yellowish

|

## Y

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-y | condition or process of

|

## Z

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zo/zoo- | animal, animal life

|

zym/zymo- | fermentation, enzyme

## See also

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* List of medical abbreviations
* Medical dictionary
* Medical terminology

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