Appendix C

Medical Terminology: Prefxes, Roots, and Suffxes

Commonly Used in Medical Terms

PREFIX/ROOT MEANING/EXAMPLEa

A- or AB- Away, lack of: abnormal, departing from normal

A- or AN- From, without: asepsis, without infection

ACR- An extremity: acrodermatitis, a dermatitis of the limbs

AD- To, toward, near: adrenal, near the kidney

ADEN- Gland: adenitis, infammation of a gland

ALG- Pain: neuralgia, pain extending along nerves

AMBI- Both: ambidextrous, referring to both hands

ANTE- Before: antenatal, occurring or having been formed before birth

ANTI- Against: antiseptic, against or preventing sepsis

ARTH- Joint: arthritis, infammation of a joint

AUTO- Self: autointoxication, poisoning by toxin generated in the body

BI- or BIN- Two: binocular, pertaining to both eyes

BIO- Life: biopsy, inspection of living organism (or tissue)

BLAST- Bud, a growing thing in early stages: blastocyte, beginning cell not yet differentiated

BLEPH- Eyelids: blepharitis, infammation of an eyelid

BRACHI- Arm: brachialis, muscle for fexing forearm

BRACHY- Short: brachydactylia, abnormal shortness of fngers and toes

BRADY- Slow: bradycardia, abnormal slowness of heartbeat

BRONCH- Windpipe: bronchiectasis, dilation of bronchial tubes

BUCC- Cheek: buccally, toward the cheek

CARCIN- Cancer: carcinogenic, producing cancer

CARDI- Heart: cardialgia, pain in the heart

CEPHAL- or CEPHALO- Head: cephalic measurements

CHEIL- Lip: cheilitis, infammation of the lip

CHOLE- Bile: cholecyst, the gallbladder

CHONDR- Cartilage: chondrectomy, removal of a cartilage

CIRCUM- Around: circumocular, around the eyes

CLEID- Clavicle: cleidocostal, pertaining to clavicle and ribs

COLP- Vagina: colporrhagia, vaginal hemorrhage

CONTRA- Against, opposed: contraindication, indication opposing usually indicated treatment

COST- Rib: intercostal, between the ribs

COUNTER- Against: counterirritation, an irritation to relieve some other irritation (e.g., a liniment)
a
Defnitions are in italic. Example terms with their defnitions follow colons.
1
2 Medical Terminology: Prefxes, Roots, and Suffxes Commonly Used in Medical Terms

PREFIX/ROOT MEANING/EXAMPLEa

CRANI- Skull: craniotomy, surgical opening in skull

CRYPT- Hidden: cryptogenic, of hidden or unknown origin

CUT- Skin: subcutaneous, under the skin

CYST- Sac or bladder: cystitis, infammation of any bladder

CYTO- Cell: cytology, scientifc study of cells; cytometer, a device for counting and measuring cells

DACRY- Lacrimal glands: dacryocyst, tear sac

DERM- or DERMAT- Skin: dermatoid, skinlike

DI- Two: diphasic, occurring in two stages or phases

DIS- Apart: disarticulation, taking a joint apart

DYS- Pain or diffculty: dyspepsia, impairment of digestion

ECTO- Outside: ectoretina, outermost layer of retina

EM- or EN- In: encapsulated, enclosed in a capsule

ENCEPHAL- Brain: encephalitis, infammation of the brain

END- Within: endothelium, layer of cells lining heart, and blood and lymph vessels

ENTERO- Intestine: enterosis, falling of intestine

EPI- Above or on: epidermis, outermost layer of skin

ERYTHRO- Red: erythrocyte, red blood cell

EU- Well: euphoria, well feeling, feeling of good health

EX- or E- Out: excretion, material thrown out of the body or the organ

EXO- Outside: exocrine, excreting outwardly (opposite of endocrine)

EXTRA- Outside: extramural, situated or occurring outside a wall

FEBRI- Fever: febrile, feverish

GALACTO- Milk: galactose, a milk sugar

GASTR- Stomach: gastrectomy, excision of the stomach

GLOSS- Tongue: glossectomy, surgical removal of tongue

GLYCO- Sugar: glycosuria, sugar in the urine

GYNEC- Women: gynecology, science of diseases pertaining to women

HEM- or HEMAT- Blood: hematopoiesis, forming blood

HEMI- Half: heminephrectomy, excision of half the kidney

HEPAT- Liver: hepatitis, infammation of the liver

HETERO- Other (opposite of homo): heterotransplant, using skin from a member of another species

HIST- Tissue: histology, science of minute structure and function of tissues

HOMO- Same: homotransplant, skin grafting by using skin from a member of the same species

HYDR- Water: hydrocephalus, abnormal accumulation of fuid in the cranium (skull)

HYPER- Above, excess of: hyperglycemia, excess of sugar in blood

HYPO- Under, defciency of: hypoglycemia, defciency of sugar in blood

HYSTER- Uterus: hysterectomy, excision of uterus

IDIO- Self or separate: idiopathic, a disease self-originated (of unknown cause)

 Medical Terminology: Prefxes, Roots, and Suffxes Commonly Used in Medical Terms 3

PREFIX/ROOT MEANING/EXAMPLEa

IM- or IN- In: infltration, accumulation in tissue of abnormal substances (such as an IV)

IM- or IN- Not: immature, not mature

INFRA- Below: infraorbital, below the orbit

INTER- Between: intermuscular, between the muscles

INTRA- Within: intramuscular, within the muscle

KERAT- Horn, cornea: keratitis, infammation of the cornea

LACT- Milk: lactation, secretion of milk

LEUK- White: leukocyte, white cell

MACRO- Large: macroblast, abnormally large red cell

MAST- Breast: mastectomy, excision of the breast

MEG- or MEGAL- Great: megacolon, abnormally large colon

MENT- Mind: dementia, deterioration of the mind

MER- Part: merotomy, division into segments

MESA- Middle: mesaortitis, infammation of the middle coat of the aorta

META- Beyond, over, change: metastasis, change in the site of a disease, spreading (often refers to cancer)

MICRO- Small: microplasia, dwarfsm

MY- Muscle: myoma, tumor made of muscular elements

MYC- Fungi: mycology, science and study of fungi

NECRO- Corpse, dead: necrosis, death of cells adjoining living tissue

NEO- New: neoplasm, any new growth or formation

NEPH- Kidney: nephrectomy, surgical excision of kidney

NEURO- Nerve: neuron, nerve cell

ODONT- Tooth: odontology, dentistry

OLIG- Little: oligemia, defciency in volume of blood

OO- Egg: oocyte, original cell of egg

OOPHOR- Ovary: oophorectomy, removal of an ovary

OPHTHALM- Eye: ophthalmometer, an instrument for measuring the eye

ORTHO- Straight, normal: orthograde, walk straight (upright)

OSS- Bone: osseous, bony

OSTE- Bone: osteitis, infammation of a bone

OT- Ear: otorrhea, discharge from ear

OVAR- Ovary: ovariorrhexis, rupture of an ovary

PARA- Irregular, around, wrong: paracystic, situated near the bladder

PATH- Disease: pathology, science of disease

PED- Children: pediatrician, child specialist

PED- Feet: pedograph, imprint of the foot

PER- Through, excessively: percutaneous, through the skin

PERI- Around, immediately around (in contradistinction to para): periosteum, sheath around bone
4 Medical Terminology: Prefxes, Roots, and Suffxes Commonly Used in Medical Terms

PREFIX/ROOT MEANING/EXAMPLEa

PHIL- Love: hemophilic, fond of blood (as bacteria that grow well in presence of hemoglobin)

PHLEB- Vein: phlebotomy, opening of vein for bloodletting

PHOB- Fear: hydrophobic, reluctant to associate with water

PNEUM- or PNEUMON- Lung (pneum–air): pneumococcus, organism causing lobar pneumonia

POLIO- Gray: poliomyelitis, infammation of gray substance of spinal cord

POLY- Many: polyarthritis, infammation of several joints

POST- After: postpartum, after delivery

PRE- Before: prenatal, occurring before birth

PRO- Before: prognosis, forecast as to result of disease

PROCT- Rectum: proctectomy, surgical removal of rectum

PSEUDO- False: pseudoangina, false angina

PSYCH- Soul or mind: psychiatry, treatment of mental disorders

PY- Pus: pyorrhea, discharge of pus

PYEL- Pelvis: pyelitis, infammation of pelvis or the kidney

RACH- Spine: rachicentesis, puncture into vertebral canal

REN- Kidney: adrenal, near the kidney

RETRO- Backward: retroversion, turned backward (usually applies to the uterus)

RHIN- Nose: rhinology, knowledge concerning noses

SALPING- A tube: salpingitis, infammation of tube

SEMI- Half: semilunar, half-moon–shaped valve

SEPTIC- Poison: septicemia, poisoned condition of blood

SOMAT- Body: psychosomatic, having bodily symptoms of mental origin

STA- Make stand: stasis, stoppage of fow of fuid, as in blood (hemostasis)

STEN- Narrow: stenosis, narrowing of duct or canal

SUB- Under: subdiaphragmatic, under the diaphragm

SUPER- Above, excessively: superacute, excessively acute

SUPRA- Above, on: suprarenal, above or on the kidney

SYM- or SYN- With, together: symphysis, a growing together, as symphysis pubis

TACHY- Fast: tachycardia, fast-beating heart

TENS- Stretch: extensor, a muscle extending or stretching a limb

THERM- Heat: diathermy, therapeutic production of heat in tissues

TOX- or TOXIC- Poison: toxemia, poisoned condition of blood

TRACHE- Trachea: tracheitis, infammation of the trachea

TRANS- Across: transplant, transfer tissue from one place to another

TRI- Three: triceps, three-headed muscle

TRICH- Hair: trichosis, any disease of the hair

UNI- One: unilateral, affecting one side

VAS- Vessel: vasoconstrictor, nerve or drug that narrows blood vessel

ZOO- Animal: zooblast, an animal cell

 Medical Terminology: Prefxes, Roots, and Suffxes Commonly Used in Medical Terms 5

SUFFIX MEANING/EXAMPLEa

-ALGIA Pain: cardialgia, pain in the heart

-ASIS or -OSIS Affected with, condition or state of: leukocytosis, excess number of leukocytes

-ASTHENIA Weakness: neurasthenia, nerve weakness

-BLAST Germ: myeloblast, immature bone marrow cell

-CELE Tumor, hernia: enterocele, any hernia of intestine

-CID Cut, kill: germicidal, destructive to germs

-CLYSIS Injection: hypodermoclysis, injection under the skin

-COCCUS Round bacterium: pneumococcus, bacterium of pneumonia

-CYTE Cell: leukocyte, white cell

-ECTASIS Dilation, stretching: angiectasis, dilatation of a blood vessel

-ECTOMY Excision: adenectomy, excision of adenoids

-EMIA Blood: glycemia, sugar in blood

-ESTHESIA Relating to sensation: anesthesia, absence of feeling

-FERENT Bear, carry: efferent, carry out to periphery

-GENIC Producing: pyogenic, producing pus

-IATRICS Pertaining to a physician or the practice of healing (medicine): pediatrics, science of medicine for
children

-ITIS Infammation: tonsillitis, infammation of tonsils

-LOGY Science of: pathology, science of disease

-LYSIS Losing, fowing, dissolution: autolysis, dissolution of tissue cells

-MALACIA Softening: osteomalacia, softening of bone

-OMA Tumor: myoma, tumor made up of muscle elements

-OSIS (-ASIS) Being affected with: arteriosclerosis, thickening and “hardening” of arteries

-(O)STOMY Creation of an opening: gastrostomy, creation of an artifcial gastric fstula

-(O)TOMY Cutting into: laparotomy, surgical incision into abdomen

-PATHY Disease: myopathy, disease of muscle

-PENIA Decrease or defciency of: leukopenia, lack of white blood cells

-PEXY To fx: proctopexy, fxation of rectum by suture

-PHAGIA Eating: polyphagia, excessive eating

-PHASIA Speech: aphasia, loss of power of speech

-PHOBIA Fear: hydrophobia, fear of water

-PLASTY Molding: gastroplasty, molding or reforming stomach

-PNEA Air or breathing: dyspnea, diffcult breathing

-POIESIS Making, forming: hematopoiesis, forming blood

-PTOSIS Falling: enteroptosis, falling of intestine

-RHYTHMIA Rhythm: arrhythmia, variation from normal rhythm of heart

-RRHAGIA Flowing or bursting forth: otorrhagia, hemorrhage from ear

-RRHAPHY Suture of: enterorrhaphy, act of sewing up a gap in intestine

6 Medical Terminology: Prefxes, Roots, and Suffxes Commonly Used in Medical Terms

SUFFIX MEANING/EXAMPLEa

-RRHEA Discharge: otorrhea, discharge from ear

-STHEN Pertaining to strength: asthenia, loss of strength

-TAXIA or -TAXIS Order, arrangement of: ataxia, failure of muscular coordination

-TROPHIA or -TROPHY Nourishment: atrophy, wasting or diminution

-URIA To do with urine: polyuria, excessive secretion of urine