 |
At first glance, medical terminology can seem like a foreign language. But often the key to understanding medical terms is focusing on their components (prefixes, roots, and suffixes). For example, spondylolysis is a combination of "spondylo, " which means vertebra, and "lysis," which means dissolve, and so means dissolution of a vertebra.
The same components are used in many medical terms. "Spondylo" plus "itis, " which means inflammation, forms spondylitis, an inflammation of the vertebrae. The same prefix plus "malacia, " which means soft, forms spondylomalacia, a softening of the vertebrae.
Knowing the meaning of a small number of components can help with interpretation of a large number of medical terms. The following list defines many commonly used medical prefixes, roots, and suffixes.
|
a(n)
|
absence of
| |
malac
|
soft
|
|
acou, acu
|
hear
| |
mamm(o)
|
breast
|
|
aden(o)
|
gland
| |
mast(o)
|
breast
|
|
aer(o)
|
air
| |
megal(o)
|
large
|
|
alg
|
pain
| |
melan(o)
|
black
|
|
andr(o)
|
man
| |
mening(o)
|
membranes
|
|
angi(o)
|
vessel
| |
my(o)
|
muscle
|
|
ankyl(o)
|
crooked, curved
| |
myc(o)
|
fungus
|
|
ante
|
before
| |
myel(o)
|
marrow
|
|
anter(i)
|
front, forward
| |
nas(o)
|
nose
|
|
anti
|
against
| |
necr(o)
|
death
|
|
arteri(o)
|
artery
| |
nephr(o)
|
kidney
|
|
arthr(o)
|
joint
| |
neur(o)
|
nerve
|
|
articul
|
joint
| |
nutri
|
nourish
|
|
ather(o)
|
fatty
| |
ocul(o)
|
eye
|
|
audi(o)
|
hearing
| |
odyn(o)
|
pain
|
|
aur(i)
|
ear
| |
oma
|
tumor
|
|
aut(o)
|
self
| |
onc(o)
|
tumor
|
|
bi, bis
|
double, twice, two
| |
oophor(o)
|
ovaries
|
|
brachy
|
short
| |
ophthalm(o)
|
eye
|
|
brady
|
slow
| |
opia
|
vision
|
|
bucc(o)
|
cheek
| |
opsy
|
examination
|
|
carcin(o)
|
cancer
| |
orchi(o)
|
testes
|
|
cardi(o)
|
heart
| |
osis
|
condition
|
|
cephal(o)
|
head
| |
osse(o)
|
bone
|
|
cerebr(o)
|
brain
| |
oste(o)
|
bone
|
|
cervic
|
neck
| |
ot(o)
|
ear
|
|
chol(e)
|
bile, or referring to gall-bladder
| |
path(o)
|
disease
|
|
chondr(o)
|
cartilage
| |
ped(o)
|
child
|
|
circum
|
around, about
| |
penia
|
deficient, deficiency
|
|
contra
|
against, counter
| |
peps, pept
|
digest
|
|
corpor
|
body
| |
peri
|
around
|
|
cost(o)
|
rib
| |
phag(o)
|
eat, destroy
|
|
crani(o)
|
skull
| |
pharmaco
|
drug
|
|
cry(o)
|
cold
| |
pharyng(o)
|
throat
|
|
cut
|
skin
| |
phleb(o)
|
vein
|
|
cyan(o)
|
blue
| |
phob(ia)
|
fear
|
|
cyst(o)
|
bladder
| |
plasty
|
repair
|
|
cyt(o)
|
cell
| |
pleg(ia)
|
paralysis
|
|
dactyl(o)
|
finger or toe
| |
pnea
|
breathing
|
|
dent
|
tooth
| |
pneum(ato)
|
breath, air
|
|
derm(ato)
|
skin
| |
pneumon(o)
|
lung
|
|
dipl(o)
|
double
| |
pod(o)
|
foot
|
|
dors
|
back
| |
poie
|
make, produce
|
|
dys
|
bad, faulty, abnormal
| |
poly
|
much, many
|
|
ectomy
|
excision (removal by cutting)
| |
post
|
after
|
|
emia
|
blood
| |
poster(i)
|
back, behind
|
|
encephal(o)
|
brain
| |
presby
|
elder
|
|
end(o)
|
inside
| |
proct(o)
|
anus
|
|
enter(o)
|
intestine
| |
pseud(o)
|
false
|
|
epi
|
outer, superficial, upon
| |
psych(o)
|
mind
|
|
erythr(o)
|
red
| |
pulmon(o)
|
lung
|
|
eu
|
normal
| |
pyel(o)
|
pelvis of kidney
|
|
extra
|
outside
| |
pyr(o)
|
fever, fire
|
|
gastr(o)
|
stomach
| |
rachi(o)
|
spine
|
|
gen
|
become, originate
| |
ren(o)
|
kidneys
|
|
gloss(o)
|
tongue
| |
rhag
|
break, burst
|
|
glyc(o)
|
sweet, or referring to glucose
| |
rhe
|
flow
|
|
gram, graph
|
write, record
| |
rhin(o)
|
nose
|
|
gyn
|
woman
| |
scler(o)
|
hard
|
|
hem(ato)
|
blood
| |
scope
|
instrument
|
|
hemi
|
half
| |
scopy
|
examination
|
|
hepat(o)
|
liver
| |
somat(o)
|
body
|
|
hist(o)
|
tissue
| |
spondyl(o)
|
vertebra
|
|
hydr(o)
|
water
| |
steat(o)
|
fat
|
|
hyper
|
excessive, high
| |
sten(o)
|
narrow, compressed
|
|
hypo
|
deficient, low
| |
steth(o)
|
chest
|
|
hyster(o)
|
uterus
| |
stom
|
mouth, opening
|
|
iatr(o)
|
doctor
| |
supra
|
above
|
|
infra
|
beneath
| |
tachy
|
fast, quick
|
|
inter
|
among, between
| |
therap
|
treatment
|
|
intra
|
inside
| |
therm(o)
|
heat
|
|
itis
|
inflammation
| |
thorac(o)
|
chest
|
|
lact(o)
|
milk
| |
thromb(o)
|
clot, lump
|
|
lapar(o)
|
flank, abdomen
| |
tomy
|
incision (operation by cutting)
|
|
latero
|
side
| |
tox(i)
|
poison
|
|
leuk(o)
|
white
| |
uria
|
urine
|
|
lingu(o)
|
tongue
| |
vas(o)
|
vessel
|
|
lip(o)
|
fat
| |
ven(o)
|
vein
|
|
lys(is)
|
dissolve
| |
vesic(o)
|
bladder
|
|
mal
|
bad, abnormal
| |
xer(o)
|
dry
|
Last full review/revision March 2010
| |
|
