Medical Terminology

medical prefixes, roots, and suffixes Source: U.S. National Institutes of Health and U.S. National Library of Medicine prefix, root, suffix -ache aden(o) meaning pain gland, glandular tissue example headache, backache, earache, toothache adenitis, adenotomy, adenoids, adenocarcinoma

aer(o) alg-algia angi(o) anteantiarteri(o) arthr(o) -ase audi(o) bradybronch(o)

air, with air, with oxygen, in aerobic, aerate, aerosol, aerocele gas pain pain blood vessel before, forward, in front of against artery joint enzyme hearing slow bronchial tube, bronchus algometry, algogenic, algesic gastralgia, neuralgia, arthralgia, fibromyalgia angioplasty, angioma, angiogenesis antepartum, anteflexion, anteversion antihistamine, antiinflammatory, antipyretic arteriopathy, arteriosclerosis, arterial arthritis, arthrotomy, arthralgia protease, urease, amylase, lactase audiogram, auditory, audiology bradycardia, bradypnea, bradyphasia bronchoscope, bronchospasm, bronchitis

carcin(o) cardi, cardia, cardio -cele -centesis cephal(o) cerebr(o) cervic(o) chol(e) chondr(o) -coccus, -cocci col(o) cortic(o) cost(o) crani(o) cyan(o) cyst(o) cyt(o) -cyte dent-

cancer heart hernia, protrusion, tumor surgical puncture head cerebrum, brain neck, cervix bile, gall cartilage bacterium, bacteria, organism colon cortex rib skull, cranium blue, blueness bladder cell cell tooth

carcinogen, carcinoma, carcinogenic cardiac, cardiotonic, cardiovascular, cardiopathy cystocele, meningocele, encephalocele amniocentesis, arthrocentesis, paracentesis cephalogram, cephalalgia, cephalic cerebrospinal, cerebral, cerebrovascular cervical, cervicectomy, cervicitis cholorrhea, cholecystogram, choleresis chondral, chondrotomy, hypochondriac pneumococcus, gonococcus, streptococci colitis, colonoscopy, colotomy corticosteroid, cortical, adrenocorticotropic costal, intercostal, costectomy craniometry, craniectomy, cranial cyanosis, cyanobacteria, acrocyanosis cystoscopy, cystocele, cystitis cytology, cytoplasm, cytosome hepatocyte, leukocyte, microcyte, monocyte dental, dentist, dentistry

derm(o), dermat(o) dipl(o) dors(o) dys-

skin double, twofold back difficult, abnormal, bad, painful excision, removal, to cut out blood condition brain, inside the head inside, internal, within intestine outer, upon red normal, well, good outside, beyond stomach producing, originating, forming old age gum, gums tongue

dermis, dermatologist, dermatitis, acrodermatitis diplopia, diplocardia, diploic, diplegia dorsal, dorsispinal, dorsolateral dysfunction, dysplasia, dyspnea, dyschromia appendectomy, thrombectomy, gastrectomy anemia, septicemia, leukemia, uremia encephalitis, electroencephalogram endaural, endocrine, endoskeleton enteric, dysentery, enterocele epidermis, epibulbar, epidural erythrocyte, erythrosis, erythrocytopenia euphoria, eupnea, eupepsia extrauterine, extracystic, extrahepatic gastrostomy, gastrointestinal, gastritis pyogenic, carcinogenic, nephrogenic geriatric, gerontology, geratology, geroderma gingivitis, gingivoplasty, gingivostomatitis glossitis, glossal, hypoglossal, glossopathy

-ectomy -emia encephal(o) end(o)enter(o) epierythr(o) euextragastr(o) -genic

ger(o) gingiv(o) gloss(o)

gluc(o) glyc(o) -gram -graph hemo-, hemahemat(o) hemihepat(o) hidr(o) hist(o) homohydr hydro-

sugar sugar, sweet picture, graph, record recording instrument blood blood half liver sweat, sweat glands tissue same, alike, similar water water, fluid, liquid excessive, high, above, upward

glucose, glucagon, glucosuria hyperglycemia, glycosuria, glycogen encephalogram, cardiogram, cholecystogram polygraph, cardiograph, craniograph hemorrhage, hemoglobin, hemostasis, hemal hematoma, hematemesis, hematogenous hemiplegia, hemianalgesia, hemicrania hepatitis, hepatotoxic, hepatomegaly hidradenoma, hidrosis, hidradenitis histogenesis, histamine, histology homologous, homosexual, homogeneous hydration, dehydration, hydremia hydrocephalus, hydronephrosis, hydrotherapy hypertension, hyperglycemia, hypertonic

hyper-

hypo-

deficient, low, below, down, hypoallergenic, hypocalcemia, under hypodermic uterus, womb condition of disease immune hysterotomy, hysteroscopy, hysterectomy trichomoniasis, giardiasis, amebiasis immunodeficiency, immunization, immunity

hyster(o) -iasis immun(o)

infrainterintraiso-itis

below, beneath between, among within, inside equal, same inflammation

inframammary, infracardiac, infrasonic, infrarenal intercostal, intercellular, intercerebral intravenous, intramuscular, intrarenal, intradermal isotonic, isometric, isomorphic arthritis, colitis, rhinitis, bronchitis, laryngitis keratitis, keratotomy, keratoplasty, keratocele lactose, lactase, lactosuria, lactic laryngitis, laryngospasm, laryngoscope leukemia, leukopenia, leukorrhea, leukocyte sublingual, linguiform, lingual lipid, lipoprotein, liposuction, lipoma nephrolithiasis, lithotripsy, urolith cardiologist, anesthesiologist, urologist biology, gynecology, dermatology neurolysis, urinalysis, histolysis, thrombolysis macrocyte, macromania, macromolecule

kerat(o) lact(o) laryng(o) leuk(o) lingu lip(o) lith(o) -logist -logy -lysis macromal-malacia

cornea milk larynx, voice box white tongue fat stone, calculus one who studies or specializes the study of breakdown, destruction, dissolution large

bad, abnormal, inadequate malnutrition, malpractice, malformed soft, softening, softness encephalomalacia, osteomalacia,

chondromalacia mammbreast, mammary gland mammogram, mammography, mammaplasty megalomania, megalocephaly, megalocyte cardiomegaly, acromegaly, hepatomegaly melanoma, melanoderma, melanogenesis menopause, dysmenorrhea, menorrhagia meningitis, meningococcus, meningeal audiometry, pelvimetry, biometry, fetometry microscope, microgram, microorganism myocardial, myalgia, myofibroma, fibromyalgia mycosis, mycelium, mycology, dermatomycosis myelopathy, myelocyte, myeloma nasal, nasosinusitis, nasogastric prenatal, intranatal, neonatal, postnatal, perinatal nephrectomy, nephropexy, nephrolysis neurology, neurosurgery, neurotransmitter nonsteroidal, nonallergic, nontoxic

megalo-

large, enlarged, grandiose

-megaly melan(o) men(o) mening(o) -metry micromy(o)

enlargement dark pigmented, black menstruation, menses meninges process of measuring or counting small muscle

myc(o) myel(o) nas(o) -natal nephr(o) neur(o) non-

fungus, fungi bone marrow, spinal cord nose birth, infant kidney nerve not

odont -oma oncoonych-

tooth tumor, abnormal growth tumor nail of the finger or toe

odontitis, odontology, orthodontist carcinoma, osteosarcoma, adenoma oncology, oncogenic, oncogene, oncolysis onychectomy, onychauxis, onychodystrophy ophthalmology, ophthalmoscope, ophthalmia myopia, presbyopia, nyctalopia, diplopia optician, optical, optometry, optokinetic cryptorchidism, orchiectomy, orchidopexy halitosis, leukocytosis, neurosis, acidosis osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, osteoclast otic, otitis, otalgia, otorrhea, otoplasty, otoscope neuropathy, myopathy, osteopathy pelvimetry, pelvic eosinopenia, thrombocytopenia, erythropenia dyspepsia, eupepsia pericardium, periodontal, perineurium hysteropexy, orchiopexy, gastropexy phagolysis, phagedena, phagocyte pharyngitis, pharyngeal,

ophthalm(o) -opia optorchi -osis oste(o) ot(o) -pathy pelv(i), pelv(o) -penia -pepsia peri-pexy phag(o) pharyng(o)

vision, eye vision, eye vision, eye testes, testis condition, increase, disorder bone ear disease, anomaly pelvis deficiency, low number digestion near, around, surrounding fixation eat, swallow, consume pharynx

pharyngoesophageal phleb(o) -phobia physi(o) -plasia -plasty vein fear of body function, bodily process development, formation surgical repair or restoration paralysis breathing, breath air, lung foot much, many, several, excessive after before, in front of, earlier than old age anus, rectum mind, mental prolapse, sagging, sagged lung phlebitis, phlebotomy, phlebosclerosis hydrophobia, acrophobia, necrophobia physiology, physiopathology, physique neoplasia, myelodysplasia, hyperplasia arthroplasty, osteoplasty, rhinoplasty paraplegia, diplegia, hemiplegia, monoplegia apnea, hyperpnea, orthopnea pneumonia, pneumothorax, pneumonocentesis podiatrist, podiatric, podalic, podagra polyuria, polycystic, polyarthritis, polymorphism postnatal, postcoronary, postoperative prenatal, preoperative, premature, preanal presbyopia, presbycusis, presbyophrenia proctitis, proctoscopy, proctology psychology, psychotropic, psychiatry blepharoptosis, nephroptosis, proptosis pulmonary, pulmonology, pulmonectomy

-plegia -pnea pneum(o) pod(o) polypostprepresby(o) proct(o) psych(o) -ptosis pulmon-

py(o) pyel(o) pyr-, pyroradi(o) ren(o) retrorhin(o) -rrhagia -rrhea salping(o) scler(o)

pus pelvis of kidney, renal pelvis fever, heat x-ray, radiation kidney behind, backward, in back of nose excessive discharge or flow

pyorrhea, pyogenic, pyemia, empyema pyelonephritis, pyelitis, pyeloplasty pyrogen, pyrolysis, pyrogenic radiology, radiograph, radioactive, radiotherapy renogram, renal, renoprival retroocular, retrocolic, retroflexion, retrolental rhinorrhea, rhinitis, rhinoplasty enterorrhagia, metrorrhagia, menorrhagia

excessive discharge or flow gonorrhea, diarrhea, leukorrhea fallopian tube hard, hardening salpingitis, salpingostomy, salpingectomy atherosclerosis, myelosclerosis, arteriosclerosis

-scope

instrument used to exam or microscope, arthroscope, otoscope, look anoscope examining, viewing involuntary contraction spine, vertebra, vertebrae surgical opening under, beneath, below arthroscopy, endoscopy, colposcopy, anoscopy angiospasm, vasospasm, bronchospasm spondylosis, spondylopathy, spondylolysis enterostomy, colostomy, gastrostomy sublingual, subcutaneous, subcostal

-scopy -spasm spondyl(o) -stomy sub-

tachythorac(o) thromb(o) thyr(o) -tomy toxitrachetrans-trophy urethr(o) -uria vas(o)

fast, rapid chest, thorax blood clot thyroid incision, incise, to cut into poison trachea, windpipe across, over, through, transfer growth, development urethra urine blood vessel, vas deferens

tachypnea, tachycardia, tachyarrhythmia thoracotomy, thoracodorsal, thoracoscopy thrombosis, thrombogenic, thrombus thyroxine, hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism gastrotomy, duodenotomy, laparotomy toxic, toxicology, toxicity tracheitis, tracheoscopy, tracheostomy transdermal, transfusion, transthoracic, transurethral hypertrophy, hypotrophy, dystrophy urethritis, urethrotomy, urethroscope pyuria, nocturia, polyuria, albuminuria vascular, vasospasm, vasectomy, vasodilator venipuncture, venous, venopressor, intravenous example

ven(o) prefix, root, suffix

vein

meaning