Introduction
1 Anatomical and Medical Terminology
Wictionary
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Download a pdf of common medical abbreviations
Medical Terminology
(Adapted from en.wiktionary.org/w/index.php)
A
| Prefix/Suffix | Meaning |
| a-, an- | not, without, less |
| ab | away from |
| –ac | pertaining to |
| acous/acouso- | hearing |
| acr/acro- | extremity, topmost |
| –ad | toward, in the direction of |
| ad- | increase, adherence, motion toward, very |
| aden/adeno- | gland |
| adip/adipo- | fat |
| adren/adreno- | gland |
| –aemia | (Britain) blood condition |
| aesthesio- | (Britain) sensation |
| alge/algesi- | pain |
| –algia | pain |
| ambi- | around, on all sides, both |
| an- | not, without |
| angi- | blood vessel |
| ankyl/ankylo- | crooked, stiff |
| ante- | before |
| antebrachial | forearm |
| anti- | against, opposed to |
| apo- | separated from, derived from |
| arteri/arterio- | artery |
| arthr/arthro- | joint, articulation |
| articul/articulo- | joint |
| –ary | pertaining to |
| –asthenia | weakness |
| –ation | process |
| auri- | ears (aural) |
| aut/auto- | self, same |
B
| bi- | two, both, twice, double |
| bio- | life |
| blast/blasto- | germ or bud |
| brachi/brachio- | arm/ upper arm |
| brady- | slow |
| bronch/bronchi- | bronchus |
| burs/burso- | bursa |
C
| carcin/carcino- | cancer |
| cardi/cardio- | heart, esophageal opening of stomach |
| –cele | pouching, hernia |
| –centesis | surgical puncture for aspiration |
| cephal/cephalo- | head |
| chem/chemo- | chemistry, drug |
| chlor/chloro- | green |
| chol- | bile |
| chondrio/chondro- | cartilage, gristle, granule, granular |
| chrom/chromato- | color |
| –cidal/cide | killing, destroying |
| circum- | around |
| cis- | on this side |
| co- | with, together, in association |
| col/colo/colono- | colon |
| com- | with, together |
| contra | against |
| cor- | with, together |
| costo | ribs |
| coxa | hip |
| crani/cranio- | cranium, skull |
| cry/cryo- | cold |
| cycl- | circle, cycle |
| cyst/cysti/cysto- | bladder or sac |
| cyt/cyto-/cyte | cell |
D
| dacrio- | tear |
| dactyl/dactylo- | digit (finger or toe) |
| de- | away from, cessation |
| derm/dermis/ dermato- |
skin |
| –desis | binding |
| dextr/dextro- | right, on the right side |
| di- | separation, two |
| dif- | separation |
| dis- | separation, taking apart |
| dynamo- | force, energy |
| –dynia | pain |
| dys- | bad, difficult |
E
| –eal | pertaining to |
| ect- | outer, outside |
| –ectasis | expansion, dilation |
| ecto- | outer, outside |
| –ectomy | excision, removal |
| –emesis | vomit |
| –emia | blood condition |
| encephal/ encephalo- |
brain |
| endo- | internal |
| epi- | upon |
| erythr/erythro- | red |
| esthesio- | sensation |
| eu- | good, well |
| ex- | out of, away from |
| exo- | exterior, outward |
| extra- | Outside |
F
| fibr/fibro- | fiber |
| –form | in the form or shape of |
G
| –-galact/galacto- | milk |
| gastr/gastro- | stomach |
| –gen | origin or production |
| genu | knee |
| geo- | earth |
| gloss/glosso- | tongue |
| glott/glotto- | variant form of gloss/glosso-, language |
| gluco- | glucose |
| glyc/glyco- | sugar |
| gnath/gnatho- | jaw |
| –gram | recording |
| –graph | recording instrument |
| –graphy | process of recording |
| gyn/gyno- gynae/gynaeco- gyne/gyneco- |
woman, also: (Britain) (US) |
H
| hem/hema/ hemat/hemato- |
(US) blood |
| hemi- | one-half |
| hemo- | (US) blood |
| hepat/hepatico/ hepato- |
liver |
| hidr/hidro- | sweat |
| hist/histio/histo- | tissue |
| hydr/hydro- | water |
| hyper- | above normal, excessive |
| hypo- | below normal, deficient |
| hyster/hystero- | uterus |
I
| –ia/iasis | condition |
| –iatrics | treatment |
| iatr/iatro- | treatment, physician |
| –iatry | treatment |
| –ic | pertaining to |
| –icle | small |
| –ics | organized knowledge, treatment |
| idio- | self, one’s own |
| ileo- | ileum |
| infra- | below |
| inter- | between, among |
| intra- | within |
| irid/irido- | iris |
| ischi/ischio- | ischium |
| –ism | condition, disease |
| –ismus | spasm, contraction |
| is/o | equal, like |
| –ist | one who specializes in |
| –ite | the nature of, resembling |
| –itis | inflammation |
| –ium | structure, tissue |
K
| karyo- | nucleus |
| kerat/kerato- | cornea (eye or skin) |
| kin/kine/ kinesi/kinesio- |
movement |
| kino- | movement |
| kyph/kypho- | humped |
L
| lacrim/lacrimo- | tear |
| lact/lacti/lacto- | milk |
| laryng/laryngo- | larynx |
| latero- | lateral |
| lei/leio- | smooth |
| –lepsis/lepsy | seizure |
| lepto- | light, slender |
| leuk/leuko- | white |
| linguo- | tongue |
| lip/lipo- | fat |
| lith/litho- | stone, calculus |
| log- | speech |
| –logist | one who specializes in study or treatment of |
| logo- | speech |
| –logy | study of |
| lymph/lympho- | lymph |
| lys-/lyso-/ -lytic | dissolution |
M
| macr/macro- | large, long |
| –malacia | softening |
| mal- | bad |
| mast/masto- | breast |
| meg/mega- | large |
| megal/megalo- | large |
| –megaly | large |
| melan/melano- | black |
| mening/meningo- | meninges |
| mes/meso- | middle |
| meta- | after, behind |
| –meter | instrument for measuring |
| –metry | process of measuring |
| micr/micro- | smallness, one-millionth |
| mon/mono- | single |
| morph/morpho- | form, shape |
| muscul/musculo- | muscle |
| my/myo- | muscle |
| myc/myco- | fungus |
| myel/myelo- | bone marrow, spinal cord |
| myring/myringo- | eardrum |
| myx/myxo- | mucus |
N
| necr/necro- | death |
| neo- | new |
| nephr/nephro- | kidney |
| neur/neuri/ neuro- |
nerve |
| normo- | normal |
O
| oculo- | eye |
| odont/odonto- | tooth |
| odyn/odyno- | pain |
| –oesophageal/ oesophago- |
(Britain) gullet |
| –oid | resemblance to |
| olig/oligo- | few, little |
| –oma | tumor |
| –omata | plural of -oma |
| onco- | tumor, bulk, volume |
| onych/onycho- | fingernail, toenail |
| oo-/ovo-/ovulo- | egg, ovary |
| oophor/oophoro- | ovary |
| ophthalm/ ophthalmo- |
eye |
| orchi/orchido/ orchio- |
testis |
| orth/ortho- | straight, normal, correct |
| –osis | a condition,disease or increase |
| osseo- | bony |
| ossi- | bone |
| ost/oste/osteo- | bone |
| ot/oto- | ear |
| –ous | pertaining to |
| ovari/ovario/ ovi/ovo- |
ovary |
| oxo- | addition of oxygen |
| oxy- | sharp, acid, acute, oxygen |
P
| pachy- | thick |
| pan/pant/panto- | all, entire |
| para- | alongside of, abnormal |
| –paresis | slight paralysis |
| path/patho- | disease |
| –pathy | disease |
| pelv/pelvi/pelvo- | hip bone |
| –penia | deficiency |
| per- | through |
| peri- | around, about |
| pes | foot |
| –pexy | fixation |
| phaco- | lens-shaped |
| –phage/phagia | eating, devouring |
| phago- | eating, devouring |
| –phagy | eating, devouring |
| pharmaco- | drug, medicine |
| pharyng/ pharyngo- |
pharynx |
| –phil/philia | attraction for |
| phleb/phlebo- | vein |
| phob/phobo- | exaggerated fear, sensitivity |
| phon/phono- | sound |
| phos- | light |
| phot/photo- | light |
| phren/phreni- | diaphragm |
| –plasia | formation, development |
| plasty | surgical repair, reconstruction |
| –plegia | paralysis |
| pleur/pleura/ pleuro- |
rib, pleura |
| pneum/pneuma- | air, lung |
| pod/podo- | foot |
| –poiesis | production |
| poly- | multiplicity |
| por/poro- | pore, pourous |
| post- | after, behind, posterior |
| pre- | anterior, before |
| pro- | before, forward |
| proct/procto- | anus, rectum |
| psych/psyche/ psycho- |
mind |
| –ptosis | falling, downward placement |
| pyel/pyelo- | pelvis |
Q
| quadr/quadri- | four |
R
| rachi/rachio | spine |
| radio- | radiation, radius |
| re- | again, backward |
| ren/reno- | kidney |
| reticul/reticulo- | net |
| retro- | backward, behind |
| rhabd/rhabdo- | rod shaped, striated |
| rhin/rhino- | nose |
| –rrhage | burst forth |
| –rrhagia | discharge |
| –rrhaphy | surgical suturing |
| –rrhea | flowing, discharge |
| –rrhexis | rupture |
S
| sarco- | muscular, fleshlike |
| schiz/schizo- | split, cleft, division |
| scler/sclero- | hardness |
| scoli/scolio- | twisted |
| –scope | instrument for viewing |
| –scopy | use of instrument for viewing |
| semi- | one-half, partly |
| sial/sialo- | saliva, salivary gland |
| sigmoid/ sigmoido- |
sigmoid, sigmoid colon |
| sinistr/ sinistro- |
left, left side |
| –sis | condition of |
| somat- somato- |
body, bodily |
| spasmo- | spasm |
| splanchn- splanchni- splanchno- | viscera |
| splen/spleno- | spleen |
| spondyl/ spondylo- |
vertebra |
| –stasis | stop, stand |
| steno- | narrowness, constriction |
| stheno- | strength, force, power |
| stom/stoma- | mouth |
| –stomy | creation of opening |
| sub- | beneath |
| super- | in excess, above, superior |
| supra- | above, excessive |
| sural | related to the calf |
| sy/syl- | together |
| sym- | together |
| syn- | together |
| sys- | together |
T
| tachy- | fast |
| –tension/–tensive | pressure (of blood) |
| therm/thermo- | heat |
| thorac/thoracico/ thoraco- |
chest, thorax |
| thromb/thrombo- | blood clot |
| thyr/thyro- | thyroid gland |
| –tic | pertaining to |
| –tome | cutting instrument |
| –tomy | cutting operation |
| tono- | tone, tension, pressure |
| –tony | tension |
| top/topo- | place, topical |
| tox/toxi/ toxico/toxo- |
toxin, poison |
| trache/tracheo- | trachea |
| trans- | across, through, beyond |
| tri | three |
| trich/trichi/ trichia/tricho- |
hair, hairlike structure |
| –tripsy | crushing |
| –trophy | growth |
| tympan/ tympano- |
eardrum |
U
| –ula/ule | small |
| ultra- | beyond, excessive |
| uni- | one |
| ur/uro- | urine |
V
| varic/varico- | vein |
| vas-/vaso- | duct, blood vessel |
| vasculo- | blood vessel |
| vesic/vesico- | vesicle |
X
| xanth/xantho- | yellow, yellowish |
| xer-/xero- | dryness |
Y
| –y | condition or process of |
Z
| zo/zoo- | animal, animal life |
