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Combining Forms
SB/Combining Forms
| Combining Form | Meaning |
|---|---|
| mast/o | breast; mastoid process |
| esthes/o | sensation, feeling |
| nat/o | birth |
| ven/o | vein |
| ablat/o | take away, destroy |
| abras/o | scrape off |
| access/o | supplemental |
| acr/o | extremity; highest point |
| actin/o | rays of the sun |
| acu/o | needle; sharpness |
| acus/o | the sense of hearing |
| adjuv/o | giving help or assistance |
| affect/o | state of mind; mood |
| affer/o | bring toward the center |
| agglutin/o | clumping, sticking |
| aggreg/o | crowding together |
| ag/o | to lead to |
| agon/o | causing action |
| agor/o | open area or space |
| aliment/o | food, nourishment |
| alkal/o | base (high pH) |
| all/o | other, strange |
| ambly/o | dimness |
| amygdal/o | almond shape |
| anabol/o | building up |
| analy/o | to separate |
| anastom/o | unite 2 tubular structures |
| ancill/o | servant, accessory |
| angi/o | blood vessel |
| anis/o | unequal |
| anthrac/o | coal |
| apher/o | withdrawal |
| apic/o | apex |
| appendic/o | appendix |
| appendicul/o | limb; small attached part |
| append/o | small structure hanging from a larger structure |
| appercept/o | fully perceived |
| arachn/o | spider, spider web |
| articul/o | joint |
| ascit/o | ascites |
| astr/o | starlike structure |
| atel/o | incomplete |
| ather/o | soft, fatty substance |
| atheromat/o | fatty deposit or mass |
| athet/o | without position or place |
| attenu/o | weakened |
| augment/o | to indrease in size or degree |
| auricul/o | ear |
| balan/o | penis |
| bar/o | weight |
| basil/o | base of an organ |
| bas/o | base of a structure; basic (alkaline) |
| blephar/o | eyelid |
| botul/o | sausage |
| brux/o | to grind teeth |
| cac/o | bad, poor |
| calc/o | calcium |
| calcul/o | stone |
| calic/o, cali/o | calix |
| calor/o | heat |
| can/o | resembling a dog |
| capill/o | hairlike structure |
| capn/o | carbon dioxide |
| carb/o | carbon atoms |
| carbox/y | carbon dioxide |
| cari/o | caries (tooth decay) |
| carot/o | stupor, sleep |
| catabol/o | breaking down |
| caud/o | tailbone, lower part of body |
| caus/o | burning |
| cavit/o, cav/o | hollow space |
| celi/o | abdomen |
| cellul/o | cell |
| cervic/o | neck, cervix |
| chez/o | to pass stool |
| chir/o | hand |
| chlor/o | chloride |
| cholangi/o | bile duct |
| chol/e, chol/o | bile, gall |
| cholecyst/o | gallbladder |
| choledoch/o | common bile duct |
| chondri/o | little granule |
| choroid/o | choroid (middle layer around the eye) |
| cid/o | killing |
| cili/o | hairlike structure |
| cirrh/o | yellow |
| claudicat/o | limping pain |
| cleid/o | clavicle (collar bone) |
| clon/o | rapid contracting & relaxing |
| coarct/o | pressed together |
| cochle/o | cochlea (of the inner ear) |
| coit/o | sexual intercourse |
| coll/a | fibers that hold together |
| colp/o | vagina |
| comminut/o | break into minute pieces |
| compress/o | press together |
| congest/o | accumulation of fluid |
| coni/o | dust |
| conjug/o | joined together |
| con/o | cone |
| contus/o | bruising |
| copr/o | feces, stool |
| cor/o | pupil |
| coron/o | encircling structure |
| coron/o | encircling structure |
| cor/o | pupil |
| corpor/o | body |
| cortic/o | cortex (outer region) |
| cosmet/o | attractive, adorned |
| crin/o | secrete |
| cry/o | cold |
| cubit/o | elbow |
| culd/o | cul-de-sac |
| cusp/o | projection, point |
| cut/i | skin |
| cyan/o | blue |
| cycl/o | ciliary body of the eye; cycle; circle |
| cyt/o | cell |
| dacry/o | lacrimal sac; tears |
| dec/i | on tenth |
| decidu/o | falling off |
| degluti/o | swallowing |
| delt/o | triangle |
| dem/o | people; population |
| dendr/o | branching structure |
| densit/o | density |
| dentit/o | eruption of teeth |
| desicc/o | to dry up |
| dextr/o | right |
| dextr/o | sugar |
| diaphor/o | seating |
| diaphys/o | shaft of a bond |
| diastol/o | dilating |
| didym/o | tests |
| dips/o | thirst |
| dos/i | dose |
| duc/o | bring or move |
| dur/o | dura mater |
| dyn/o | pain |
| ecchym/o | blood in the tissues |
| eclamps/o | a seizure |
| ectat/o | dilation |
| ectop/o | outside of a place |
| edentul/o | without teeth |
| efface/o | do away with; obliterate |
| effus/o | a pouring out |
| emet/o | to vomit |
| emulsific/o | particles suspended in a solution/liquid |
| encephal/o | brain |
| enucle/o | to remove the kernal or nucleus |
| enur/o | to urinate in |
| ependym/o | lining membrane |
| epilept/o | seizure |
| epiphys/o | growth area on the end of a bone |
| episi/o | vulva (female external genitalia |
| erg/o | activity; work |
| erythemat/o | redness |
| es/o | inward |
| esthes/o, esthet/o | sensation, feeling |
| estr/a, estr/o | female |
| ethm/o | sieve |
| eti/o | cause of disease |
| etym/o | word origin |
| excori/o | to take out skin |
| extens/o | straightening |
| extrins/o | on the outside |
| faci/o | face |
| fasci/o | fascia |
| fec/a, fec/o | feces, stool |
| femor/o | femur |
| ferrit/o, ferr/o | iron |
| fibrill/o | muscle fiber; nerve fiber |
| fibrin/o | fibrin |
| fibul/o | fibula |
| fiss/o | splitting |
| flex/o | bending |
| foc/o | point of activity |
| foli/o | leaf |
| famin/o | opening into a cavity or channel (foramen) |
| forens/o | court proceedings in criminal law |
| fove/o | small, depressed area |
| fratern/o | close association or relationship |
| fruct/o | fruit |
| fulgur/o | spark of electricity |
| fund/o, fundu/o | farthest part from the opening (fundus) |
| galact/o | milk |
| gemin/o | twins; set or group |
| gene/o | gene |
| gener/o | production; creation |
| genit/o | genitalia |
| gen/o | arising from; produced by |
| germin/o | embryonic tissue |
| ger/o | old age |
| gest/o, gestat/o | from conception to birth |
| glen/o | socket of a joint |
| gloss/o | tongue |
| glycer/o | sugar alcohol (glycerol) |
| goni/o | angle |
| gon/o | seed |
| gustat/o | the sense of taste |
| halit/o | breath |
| hal/o | breathe |
| hebe/o | youth |
| hec/o | habitual conditon of the body |
| helic/o | a coil |
| heter/o | other |
| hex/o | habitual condition of the body |
| hidr/o | sweat |
| hirsut/o | hairy |
| home/o | same |
| hom/i | man |
| hyal/o | clear glasslike substance |
| hydatidi/o | fluid-filled vesicles |
| hydr/o | water, fluid |
| hy/o | U-shaped structure |
| hypophys/o | pituitary gland |
| hyster/o | uterus, womb |
| iatr/o | physician; medical treatment |
| icter/o | jaundice |
| ict/o | seizure |
| idi/o | unknown, individual |
| incud/o | incus (anvil-shaped bone) |
| infarct/o | area of dead tissue |
| insulin/o | insulin |
| insul/o | island |
| integument/o | skin |
| integu/o | to cover |
| interstiti/o | spaces within tissue |
| intrins/o | on the inside |
| intussuscep/o | to receive within |
| involut/o | enlarged organ returns to normal size |
| irid/o, ir/o | iris (colored portion of the eye) |
| isch/o | keep back, block process |
| jugul/o | jugular (throat) |
| kal/i | potassium |
| kary/o | nucleus |
| kel/o | tumor |
| kerat/o | cornea, hard fibrous protein |
| ket/o, keton/o | ketones |
| kines/o, kin/o | movement |
| kyph/o | bent, humpbacked |
| labi/o | lip, labium |
| lact/i, lact/o | milk |
| lamin/o | lamina (flat area on the vertebra |
| lapar/o | abdomen |
| lei/o | smooth |
| lenticul/o, lent/o | lens of the eye |
| lex/o | word |
| ligat/o | to tie up or bind |
| limb/o | edge, border |
| lingu/o | tongue |
| lipid/o, lip/o | fat |
| lith/o | stone |
| lob/o | lobe of an organ |
| loc/o | in one place |
| log/o | word, the study of |
| lord/o | swayback |
| luc/o | clear and shining |
| lumin/o | lumen (opening) |
| lun/o | moon |
| ly/o, lys/o | break down, separate, dissolve |
| macul/o | small area or spot |
| malac/o | softening |
| mandibul/o | mandible (lower jaw) |
| man/o | thin |
| manu/o | hand |
| masset/o, mastic/o | chewing |
| mastoid/o | mastoid process |
| melan/o, melen/o | black |
| men/o | month |
| ment/o | mind, chin |
| mesi/o, mes/o | middle |
| metr/o | measurement |
| mictur/o | making urine |
| mit/o | threadlike structure |
| mi/o | lessening |
| mitt/o | to send |
| morb/o, morbid/o | disease |
| mort/o | death |
| mot/o | movement |
| mucos/o | mucous membrane |
| myc/o | fungus |
| mydr/o | widening |
| myel/o | bone marrow, spinal cord |
| myring/o | tympanic membrane |
| my/o, myos/o | muscle |
| myx/o | mucus-like substance |
| narc/o | stupor, sleep |
| necr/o | death |
| ne/o | new |
| nid/o | nest, focus |
| noct/o | night |
| nod/o | node (knob of tissue) |
| nodul/o | small knobby mass |
| optic/o | lenses, properties of light |
| opt/o | eye, vision |
| orbicul/o | small circle |
| orchi/o, orch/o | testis |
| orex/o | appetite |
| or/o | mouth |
| orth/o | straight |
| osm/o | the sense of smell |
| osse/o | bone |
| ossicul/o | ossicle (little bone) |
| ossificat/o | changing into bone |
| ot/o | ear |
| oure/o | urine |
| ov/i, ov/u, ovul/o | ovum (egg) |
| ox/i, ox/o, ox/y | oxygen |
| palliat/o | reduce the severity of |
| palpit/o | to throb |
| papill/o | elevated structure |
| pareun/o | sexual intercourse |
| pariet/o | wall of a cavity |
| par/o | birth |
| paroxysm/o | sudden, sharp attack |
| part/o | childbirth |
| parurit/o | to be in labor |
| pathet/o | suffering |
| paus/o | cessation |
| pect/o | stiff |
| pector/o | chest |
| pedicul/o | lice |
| ped/o | child |
| pen/o | penis |
| peps/o, pept/o | digestion |
| percuss/o | tapping |
| perone/o | fibula (lower leg bone) |
| phac/o, phak/o | lens of the eye |
| phag/o | eating, swallowing |
| phas/o | speech |
| phe/o | gray |
| phil/o | attraction to, fondness for |
| phleb/o | vein |
| phor/o | to bear, to carry |
| phren/o | diaphragm, mind |
| phylact/o | guarding or protecting |
| phys/o, physi/o | inflate or distend; grow |
| pil/o | hair |
| plak/o | plaque |
| plas/o, plast/o | growth, formation |
| pleg/o | paralysis |
| pne/o | breathing |
| pod/o | foot |
| poikil/o | irregular |
| polar/o | two opposite poles |
| poplite/o | back of the knee |
| presby/o | old age |
| prim/i | first |
| proct/o | rectum and anus |
| pronat/o | lying face down |
| prote/o | protein |
| prurit/o, psor/o | itching |
| pupill/o | pupil of the eye |
| purul/o | pus |
| pyel/o | renal pelvis |
| pylor/o | pylorus |
| py/o | pus |
| pyret/o | fever |
| pyr/o | fire, burning |
| radic/o | all parts including the root |
| radicul/o | spinal nerve root |
| rap/o | to seize and drag away |
| refract/o | bend or deflect |
| reticul/o | small network |
| rhabd/o | rod shaped |
| rheumat/o | watery discharge |
| rhin/o | nose |
| rhiz/o | spinal nerve root |
| rhytid/o | wrinkle |
| rib/o | ribonucleic acid |
| roentgen/o | x-ray; radiation |
| rrhe/o | flow, discharge |
| rub/o | red |
| rug/o | ruga (fold) |
| sacchar/o | sugar |
| sagitt/o | going from font to back |
| salping/o | fallopian tube |
| saphen/o | standing |
| sarc/o | connective tissue |
| scal/o | series of graduated steps |
| scaph/o | boat shaped |
| schiz/o | split |
| scint/i, scintill/o | point of light |
| scler/o | hard; sclera (white of the eye) |
| scoli/o | curved, crooked |
| scot/o | darkness |
| script/o | write |
| scrot/o | a bag; scrotum |
| semin/i, semin/o | sperm |
| sen/o | old age |
| septic/o | infection |
| sept/o | septum |
| ser/o | serum of the blood; serumlike fluid |
| sial/o | saliva; salivary gland |
| sin/o | hollow cavity; channel |
| sinus/o | sinus |
| somat/o | body |
| som/o | a body |
| sorb/o | to suck up |
| sphen/o | wedge shape |
| sphenoid/o | sphenoid bone or sinus |
| sphygm/o | pulse |
| spir/o | breathe, a coil |
| spondyl/o | vertebra |
| squam/o | scalelike cell |
| stal/o | contraction |
| staped/o | stapes (stirrup-shaped bone) |
| sten/o | narrowness, constriction |
| steth/o | chest |
| sthen/o | strength |
| stigmat/o | point, mark |
| stom/o | surgically created opening or mouth |
| stomat/o | mouth |
| strept/o | curved |
| styl/o | stake |
| sucr/o | sugar |
| sudor/i | sweat |
| supinat/o | lying on the back |
| suppur/o | pus formation |
| syncop/o | fainting |
| synov/o, synovi/o | synovium (membrane) |
| systol/o | contracting |
| tact/o | touch |
| tars/o | ankle |
| tax/o | coordination |
| tele/o | distance |
| terat/o | bizarre form |
| tetr/a | four |
| thanat/o | death |
| thec/o | sheath or layers of membranes |
| theli/o | cellular layer |
| thromb/o | bloot clot |
| thyr/o | shield |
| till/o | to pull out |
| toc/o | labor and childbirth |
| tom/o | a cut, slice or layer |
| ton/o | pressure; tone |
| torti/i | twisted position |
| tox/o, toxic/o | poison, toxin |
| trabecul/o | mesh |
| trac/o | visible path |
| tremul/o | shaking |
| trich/o | hair |
| trigemin/o | threefold |
| trochle/o | structure shaped like a pulley |
| troph/o | development |
| trop/o | having an affinity for; stimulating |
| tuber/o | nodule |
| tuberos/o | knoblike projection |
| turbin/o | scroll-like structure; turbinate |
| tuss/o | cough |
| tympan/o | eardrum |
| ungu/o | nail |
| uve/o | uvea of the eye |
| vag/o | vagus nerve |
| valv/o, valvul/o | valve |
| varic/o | varix; varicose vein |
| vas/o, vascul/o | blood vessel |
| ven/i, ven/o | vein |
| ventr/o | front; abdomen |
| verd/o | green |
| vers/o, vert/o | to travel; to turn |
| vesic/o, vesicul/o | bladder; fluid-filled sac |
| vestibul/o | vestibule (entrance) |
| vest/o | to dress |
| viril/o | masculine |
| viscer/o | viscera (internal organs) |
| viscos/o | thickness |
| vis/o | sight, vision |
| vitre/o | vitreous humor; transparent substance |
| vuls/o | to tear away |
| vulv/o | vulva |
| xanth/o | yellow |
| xen/o | foreign |
| xer/o | dry |
| xiph/o | sword |
| zygomat/o | zygoma (cheek bone) |