Term | Definition |
a- | absence of |
ab- | away from |
ad- | towards |
an- | absence of |
ante- | before |
anti | against |
auto- | self |
bi- | two |
bio- | life |
brady- | slow |
circum- | around |
co-/con- | together/ joined |
contra- | against |
cryo- | cold |
cyano- | blue |
de- | away from/ removing |
dia- | through |
diplo- | double |
dys- | difficult/ abnormal/ painful |
ecto- | external/ outside/ without |
en-/ endo- | within/ in/ into |
epi- | upon/ above/ on |
ery-/ erythro- | red |
hemi- | half |
hetro- | unlike/ dissimilar |
homo- | same |
hyper- | above/ high/ in excess of normal |
hypo- | low/ below/ less than normal |
inter- | between |
intra- | within/ inside |
iso- | equal |
kypho- | crooked/ hump/ curvature |
latero- | side |
leuco/ leuko- | white |
lordo- | curvature forward |
macro- | large |
mal- | poor/ abnormal/ impaired |
mega/ megalo- | big/ enlarged |
melano- | black/ dark/ pigment |
meta- | after/ beyond |
micro- | small |
mono- | one/ single |
multi- | many |
neo- | new |
oligo- | scanty/ deficiency |
ortho- | straight |
pachy- | thick |
pan- | all |
para- | alongside |
peri- | around |
polio- | grey |
poly- | many |
pre/pro- | before |
quadri- | four |
retro- | backward |
sclero- | hard |
scolio- | sideways/twisted |
semi- | half |
steno- | narrow |
sub- | below |
super/ supra- | above |
syn- | with/ together/ union |
tachy- | rapid/fast |
uni- | one |
abdomino- | abdomen |
adeno- | gland |
albumen/ albumin- | albumin/ a protein |
alveolo- | air sac |
andro- | man |
angio- | vessel |
aorto- | aorta |
appendico- | appendix |
arterio- | artery |
arthro- | joint |
atrio | atrium |
bile- | bile |
blepharo- | eyelid |
bronchiolo- | bronchiole |
broncho- | bronchus |
cardio- | heart |
carpo- | wrist/ hand |
cephalo- | head |
cerebello | cerebellum/ lower lobe of brain |
cervico- | cervix/ neck |
cholangio | bile/ biliary vessels |
chole- | bile |
cholecysto- | gallbladder |
chondro- | cartilage |
colo-/ colono | colon |
colpo | vagina |
corono- | heart/ crown |
costo- | rib |
cranio- | skull containing brain |
cysto- | bladder |
cyto- | cell |
dento- | tooth |
derm-/ dermato- | skin |
duodeno- | duodenum |
encephalo- | brain |
endocardio- | lining of the heart |
endometrio- | endometrium, lining of the uterus |
entero- | intestine |
epididymo- | tubules above testes/ testicles |
febro- | fever |
feto- | fetus |
gastro- | stomach |
gingiva- | gums |
glosso- | tongue |
glycol- | sugar |
gyno-/ gynaeco- | woman |
haemo/ haemato- | blood |
hep/ hepato- | liver |
hernio- | hernia, rupture |
histo- | tissue |
hydro- | water |
hystero- | womb |
iatro- | doctor/ physican |
ileo- | ileum |
ilio- | ilium |
immuno- | immunity |
jejuno- | jejunum |
laparo- | abdomen/ abdominal wall |
laryngo- | larynx |
leuco- | white |
lipo- | fat |
litho- | stone |
lymphadeno- | lymph gland |
lymphangio- | lymph vessel |
lympho- | lymph / tissue fluid |
mammo-/ masto- | breast |
mandibulo- | lower jaw bone |
maxilla- | upper jaw bone |
meningo- | meninges/ membrane covering brain and spinal cord |
menisco- | meniscus (knee cartilage) |
meno- | menstruation |
metro- | womb |
myelo- | marrow/ spinal cord |
myo-/ myos- | muscle |
myocardio- | myocardium |
myringo- | ear drum |
naso- | nose |
nato- | birth |
necro- | death |
nephro- | kidney |
neuro- | nerve |
oculo- | eye |
oesphago- | oesophagus |
onco- | tumour |
onycho- | nail |
oophoro- | ovary |
ophthalmo- | eye |
opto- | sight/ eye |
orchio/ orchid- | testis/ male gonad/ male gland |
osteo- | bone |
oto- | ear |
paedo- | child |
pancreato- | pancreas/ a gland |
patho- | disease |
pericardio- | outer layer of heart |
phago- | swallow, eat |
phaso- | speech |
pharmaco- | drug |
pharyngo- | pharynx/ throat |
phlebo- | vein |
pleuro- | lung membrane |
pneumo/ pneumono- | air/ gas/ lung |
pnoe- | breathing |
procto- | anus/ rectum |
prostato- | prostate/ a male |
phallo- | penis |
pulmono- | lung |
pyo- | pus |
pyro- | fever |
recto- | rectum |
reno- | kidney |
rhino- | nose |
salpingo- | fallopian tube |
sigmoido- | sigmoid colon |
spleno- | spleen |
steato- | fat |
stoma-/ stomato- | mouth |
tarso- | foot/ eyelid |
thermo- | heat |
thoraco- | chest/ thorax |
thrombo- | blood clot |
thyro- | thyroid |
tonsillo- | tonsils/ lymph gland |
tox-/ toxico- | windpipe/ trachea |
tympano- | ear drum |
uretero- | ureter/ tube from kidney |
urethra- | urethra/ tube from kidney |
uro- | urine/ urinary organs |
utero- | womb |
vaso- | vessel |
veno- | vein |
ventrico-/ ventriculo- | ventricle |
-a | condition of |
-aemia | blood |
-ac/ -al | concerning/ pertaining |
-algia | pain |
-blast | immature cell |
-cele | swelling/ protrusion |
-centesis | to puncture/ tapping |
-cide | kill/ destroy |
-cyte | cell |
-demic | people/ population |
-desis | binding together |
-dynia | pain |
-ectasis | dilation |
-ectomy | surgical removal of |
-form | shape/ form |
-gen/ -genesis/ -genic | producing/ forming/ origin |
-gram | picture/ tracing |
-graph | machine that records / tracing |
-graphy | procedure of recording/ tracing |
-gravida | pregnancy |
-ia/ -iasis/ iosis/ -ism | condition of/ state of |
-iac/ -iatric/ ic | pertaining to (medicine/ physician) |
-itis | inflammation of |
-lith | stone |
-lithiasis | condition/ presence of stones |
-lysis | destruction/ splitting/ breaking down |
-malacia | softening |
-megaly | enlargement |
-meter | measure |
-natal | birth |
-oedema | swelling caused by excess fluid |
-oid | likeness |
-ology | study of/ science of |
-oma | tumour |
-opia | condition of the eye |
-orrhage | burst forth/ bleeding |
-orrhagia | condition of heavy bleeding |
-orrhaphy | sew/ repair |
-orrhoea | flow/ discharge |
-ostomy | artificial opening into |
-otomy | cutting into/ dividng/ incison |
-para | given birth |
-pathy | disease |
-penia | lack of/ decreased |
-pexy | fixation of |
-phagia | swallowing |
-phasia | speech |
-philla | liking/ loving/ affinity for |
-phobia | irrational fear |
-phylaxis | protection/ prevention |
-plasty | form/ mould/ reconstruction |
-plasia | formation |
-plegia | paralysis |
-pnoea | breathing |
-porosis | thinning/ passage |
-ptosis | dropping/ falling |
-rrhythmia | rhythm |
-sclerosis | hardening |
-scope | lighted instrument used to examine |
-spasm | involuntary contraction |
-stasis | cessation of movement/ flow |
-stenosis | narrowing |
-staxis | dripping |
-tome | cutting instrument |
-tripsy | crushing |
-trophy | nourishment/ food |
-uria | condition of urine |