Medical prefixes, suffixes, and combining forms
Additional recommended knowledge
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
|
