Medical prefixes, suffixes, and combining forms

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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
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

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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

quadr/quadri-

four

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

zo/zoo-	animal, animal life
zym/zymo-	fermentation, enzyme

See also

• List of medical abbreviations
• Medical dictionary
• Medical terminology