Term | Definition |
a- | without |
ab- | away from |
abdomin/o | abdomen |
-ac, -al, -ar, -ary, -eal, -ic, -ous, -tic | pertaining to |
acous/o | hearing |
acr/o | extremity or topmost |
-acusis | hearing condition |
ad- | to, toward, near |
aden/o | gland |
adip/o | fat |
adren/o, adrenal/o | adrenal gland |
aer/o | air, gas |
albumin/o | protein |
-algia | pain |
alveol/o | alveolus (air sac) |
ambi- | both |
an- | without |
an/o | anus |
andr/o | male |
angi/o | vessel |
ankyl/o | crooked or stiff |
ante- | before |
anti- | against, opposed to |
aort/o | aorta |
appendic/o | appendix |
aque/o | water |
-arche | beginning |
arteri/o | artery |
arthr/o | joint |
articul/o | joint |
-ase | enzyme |
-asthenia | weakness |
ather/o | fatty paste |
-ation | process |
atri/o | atrium |
audi/o | hearing |
aur/i | ear |
bacteri/o | bacteria |
balan/o | glans penis |
bi- | two, both |
bil/i | bile |
-blast, blast/o | germ or bud |
blephar/o | eyelid |
brachi/o | arm |
brady- | slow |
bronch/o, bronchi/o | bronchus (airway) |
bronchiol/o | bronchiole (little airway) |
bucc/o | cheek |
capn/o, carb/o | carbon dioxide |
carcin/o | cancer |
cardi/o | heart |
cata- | down |
-cele | pouching, hernia |
celi/o | abdomen |
-centesis | puncture for aspiration |
cephal/o | head |
cerebell/o | cerebellum (little brain) |
cerebr/o | cerebrum (largest part) |
cerumin/o | wax |
cervic/o | neck or cervix |
cheil/o | lip |
chol/e | bile |
chondr/o | cartilage (gristle) |
chrom/o, chromat/o | color |
chyl/o | juice |
circum- | around |
col/o, colon/o | colon |
colp/o | vagina (sheath) |
con- | together, with |
conjunctiv/o | conjunctiva (to join together) |
contra- | against or opposed to |
corne/o | cornea |
coron/o | circle or crown |
cost/o | rib |
crani/o | skull |
crin/o | to secrete |
cutane/o | skin |
cyan/o | blue |
cyst/o | bladder, sac |
cyt/o | cell |
dacry/o | tear |
dactyl/o | digit (fingers/toes) |
de- | from, down, or not |
dent/i | teeth |
derm/o, dermat/o | skin |
-desis | binding |
dextr/o | right or on the right side |
dia- | across, through |
diaphor/o | profuse sweating |
dips/o | thirst |
dis- | separate from or apart |
doch/o | duct |
duoden/o | duodenum |
-dynia | pain |
dys- | painful, difficult, faulty |
-e | noun |
e-, ec-, ex- | out or away |
-ectasis | expansion or dilation |
ecto- | outside |
-ectomy | excision, removal |
-emesis | vomiting |
-emia | blood condition |
en- | within |
encephal/o | entire brain |
endo- | within |
enter/o | small intestine |
epi- | upon |
epididym/o | epididymis |
episi/o | vulva (covering) |
erythr/o | red |
esophag/o | esophagus |
esthesi/o | sensation |
eu- | good, normal |
exo-, extra- | outside |
fasci/o | fascia (a band) |
femor/o | femur |
fibr/o | fiber |
gangli/o | ganglion (knot) |
gastr/o | stomach |
-gen, gen/o, -genesis | origin or production |
gingiv/o | gum |
gli/o | glue |
glomerul/o | glomerulus (small ball) |
gloss/o | tongue |
glott/o | opening |
gluc/o, glyc/o | sugar |
gnos/o | knowing |
-gram | record |
-graph | instrument for recording |
-graphy | process of recording |
gynec/o | woman |
hem/o, hemat/o | blood |
hemi- | half |
hepat/o, hepatic/o | liver |
herni/o | hernia |
hidr/o | sweat |
hist/o, histi/o | tissue |
hormon/o | hormone (an urging on) |
hydr/o | water |
hyper- | above, excessive |
hypo- | below or deficient |
hypn/o | sleep |
hyster/o | uterus |
-ia, -ism | condition of |
-iasis | formation of or presence of |
-iatrics, -iatry | treatment |
-icle | small |
ile/o | ileum |
immun/o | safe |
infra- | below or under |
inguin/o | groin |
inter- | between |
intra- | within |
ir/o, irid/o | iris (colored circle) |
iso- | equal or like |
-ist | one who specializes in |
-itis | inflammation |
-ium | structure or tissue |
jejun/o | jejunum (empty) |
kerat/o | hard or cornea |
ket/o, keton/o | ketone bodies |
kinesi/o | movement |
kyph/o | humped-back |
lacrim/o | tear |
lact/o | milk |
lapar/o | abdomen |
laryng/o | larynx (voice box) |
lei/o | smooth |
-lepsy | seizure |
leuc/o, leuk/o | white |
lex/o | word or phrase |
lingu/o | tongue |
lip/o | fat |
lith/o | stone |
lob/o | lobe (a portion) |
-logist | one who specializes in the study or treatment of |
-logy | study of |
lord/o | bent |
lumb/o | loin (lower back) |
lymph/o | clear fluid |
-lysis | breaking down or dissolution |
macro- | large, long |
-malacia | softening |
mamm/o | breast |
-mania | abnormal impulse (attraction toward) |
mast/o | breast |
meat/o | opening |
-megaly | enlargement |
melan/o | black |
men/o | menstruation |
mening/o, meningi/o | meninges (membrane) |
meso- | middle |
meta- | beyond, after, change |
-meter | instrument for measuring |
metr/o | uterus |
-metry | process of measuring |
micro- | small |
mono- | one |
morph/o | form |
multi- | many |
muscul/o, my/o, myos/o | muscle |
myc/o | fungus |
myel/o | bone marrow, spinal cord |
myring/o | eardrum |
narc/o | stupor or sleep |
nas/o | nose |
nat/i | birth |
necr/o | death |
neo- | new |
nephr/o | kidney |
neur/o | nerve |
ocul/o | eye |
-oid | resembling |
-ole | small |
olig/o | few or deficient |
-oma | tumor |
onc/o | tumor or mass |
onych/o | nail |
oophor/o | ovary |
ophthalm/o, opt/o | eye |
-opia | condition of vision |
orch/o, orchi/o, orchid/o | testis (testicle) |
or/o | mouth |
orth/o | straight, normal, correct |
-osis | condition or increase |
oste/o | bone |
ot/o | ear |
ovari/o | ovary |
ov/i, ov/o | egg |
ox/o | oxygen |
pachy- | thick |
palat/o | palate |
pan- | all |
pancreat/o | pancreas |
para- | alongside of or abnorma |
-paresis | slight paralysis |
patell/o | knee cap |
path/o | disease |
pector/o | chest |
ped/o | child or foot |
pelv/i | hip bone |
-penia | abnormal reduction |
per- | through or by |
peri- | around |
perine/o | perineum |
peritone/o | peritoneum |
-pexy | suspension or fixation |
phac/o, phak/o | lens (lentil) |
phag/o | eat or swallow |
pharyng/o | pharynx (throat) |
phas/o | speech |
-phil, -philia | attraction for |
phleb/o | vein |
phob/o | exaggerated fear or sensitivity |
phon/o | voice or sound |
phor/o | to carry or bear |
phot/o | light |
phren/o | diaphragm or mind |
plas/o | formation |
-plasia | formation |
-plasty | surgical repair or reconstruction |
-plegia | paralysis |
pleur/o | pleura |
-pnea | breathing |
pneum/o, pneumon/o | air or lung |
pod/o | foot |
-poiesis | formation |
poly- | many |
post- | after or behind |
pre- | before |
presby/o | old age |
pro- | before |
proct/o | anus and rectum |
prostat/o | prostate |
psych/o | mind |
-ptosis | falling or downward displacement |
pulmon/o | lung |
purpur/o | purple |
py/o | pus |
pyel/o | basin |
pylor/o | pylorus (gatekeeper) |
quadri- | four |
radi/o | radius or radiation (xray) |
re- | again or back |
rect/o | rectum |
ren/o | kidney |
reticul/o | a net |
retin/o | retina |
retro- | backward or behind |
rhabd/o | rod shaped or striated (skeletal) |
rhin/o | nose |
-rrhage, -rrhagia | to burst forth |
-rrhaphy | suture |
-rrhea | discharge |
-rrhexis | rupture |
salping/o | uterine (fallopian) tube or eustachian tube |
sarc/o | flesh |
schiz/o | split or division |
scler/o | hard or sclera |
scoli/o | twisted |
-scope | instrument for examination |
-scopy | process of examination |
seb/o | sebum (oil) |
semi- | half |
sial/o | saliva |
sigmoid/o | sigmoid colon |
sinistr/o | left or on the left side |
sinus/o | hollow cavity |
somat/o | body |
somn/o, somn/i | sleep |
son/o | sound |
-spasm | involuntary contraction |
sperm/o, spermat/o | sperm (seed) |
sphygm/o | pulse |
spin/o | spine (thorn) |
spir/o | breathing |
splen/o | spleen |
spondyl/o | vertebra |
squam/o | scale |
-stasis | stop or stand |
steat/o | fat |
sten/o | narrow |
stere/o | 3D or solid |
stern/o | sternum (breastbone) |
steth/o | chest |
stomat/o | mouth |
-stomy | creation of an opening |
sub- | below or under |
super-, supra- | above or excessive |
sym-, syn- | together or with |
tachy- | fast |
tax/o | order or coordination |
ten/o, tend/o, tendin/o | tendon (to stretch) |
test/o | testis (testicle) |
thalam/o | thalamus (a room) |
thorac/o | chest |
thromb/o | clot |
thym/o | thymus gland or mind |
thyr/o, thyroid/o | thyroid gland (shield) |
toc/o | labor |
tom/o | to cut |
-tomy | incision |
ton/o | tone or tension |
tonsill/o | tonsil |
top/o | place |
tox/o, toxic/o | poison |
trache/o | trachea (windpipe) |
trans- | across or through |
tri- | three |
trich/o | hair |
-tripsy | crushing |
troph/o | nourishment or development |
tympan/o | eardrum |
-ula, -ule | small |
uln/o | ulna |
ultra- | beyond or excessive |
uni- | one |
ur/o | urine |
ureter/o | ureter |
urethr/o | urethra |
urin/o | urine |
uter/o | uterus |
uvul/o | uvula |
vagin/o | vagina (sheath) |
varic/o | swollen or twisted vein |
vas/o, vascul/o | vessel |
ven/o | vein |
ventricul/o | ventricle (belly or pouch) |
vertebr/o | vertebra |
vesic/o, vesicul/o | bladder or sac |
vitre/o | glassy |
vulv/o | vulva (covering) |
xanth/o | yellow |
xer/o | dry |
-y | condition or process of |