| Prefix and meaning: a-, an- without ab-, abs- away from abdomin-, abdomino- abdomen acanth-, acantho- thorn or spine acous-, acouso-, acousio- hearing acr-, acro- extremity topmost ad- toward, increase, adherence, motion, very aden-, adeno- gland adip-, adipo- fat adren-, adreno- gland aer-, aero- air, gas aesthesio-, asthesio- sensation al- like, similar alb- denoting a white or pale color alge-, algesi- pain algia- pain algo-, algio- pain allo- denoting something as different, or as an addition ambi- around on all sides, both amnio- pertaining to the amnion amph-, amphi- on both sides amyl- starch an- not, without ana- back, again, up andr-, andro- pertaining to a man angio-, anti- blood vessel aniso- describing something as unequal ankyl-, ankylo-, ancylo- crooked, looped, stiff an/o- anus ante- before anti- against, opposed to apo- separated from, derived from arch-, archi-, arche-, archo- first, primitive arterio- artery arthro- joint, articulation articulo-, articul- joint asthen- weakness, lack atel-, atelo- imperfect or incomplete development atrio-, atri- atrium aud-, aur- ear, hearing auri- ears (aural) aut-, auto- self, same aux-, auxo- increase, growth axill- of or pertaining to the armpit azo-, azoto- nitrogenous compound bacterio-, bacteri- bacteria balano- of the glans penis or glans clitoridis bar- weight bi- both, two bio- life blast-, blasto- germ or bud bleph-, blepharo- eyelid brachio-, brachi- arm brachy- short or little brady- slow bronchi-, broncho- bronchial buccal-, bucco-, bucc- cheek burs-, burso- bursa capill- of or pertaining to hair capit- pertaining to the head as a whole carcin-, carcino- cancer cardio-, cardi- heart carpo-, carp- wrist cata- down caud- tail centi- hundredth cephalo-, cephal- head cerat-, cerato- of or pertaining to the cornu; a horn cerebell-, cerebello- cerebellum cerebro-, cerebr- brain cervic- neck chem-, chemo- chemistry, drug chiro-, chir-, cheir-, cheiro- hand chlor-, chloro- green chole-, chol- bile cholecyst- gall bladder chondro-, chondrio- cartilage, gristle chrom-, chromato- color cili- cilia, eyelashes, eyelids circum- around cis- on this side clast- break co- with, together, in association col-, colo-, colono- colon colp-, colpo- vagina com- with, together contra- against cor- with, together cor-, core-, coro- pupil of the eye cordi- heart cornu- applied to processes and parts of the body describing them likened or similar to horns cort- covering costo-, cost- ribs coxa-, cox- hip, haunch, hip-joint cranio-, crani- skull, cranium cry-, cryo- cold cubitus- elbow, forearm cutane- skin cut- skin cyan-, cyano- blue color cycl- circle, cycle cyph-, cypho- bent cysto-, cyst-, cysti- bladder, sac cyt-, cyte-, cyto- cell dacrio-, dacryo- tear dactyl-, dactylo- digit (finger or toe) de- away from, cessation deci- tenth dent- tooth derma-, dermato- skin dextr-, dextro- right, on the right side di- separation, apart, two dia- through, during, across dif- separation, apart digit- finger diplo- double dis- separation, taking apart dors-, dorso-, dorsi- back duodeno- duodenum dynamo- force, energy dys- painful, abdominal, bad, difficult ec- out, away ecto-, ect- outside edem- swelling (fluid) edoptra- stiff encephal-, encephalo- brain endo- inside, within, internal enter-, entero- small intestine epi-, epio- upper, above, upon episio-, episi- pubic region, loins erythro-, erythr- red esophago- gullet esthesio- sensation eu- good, well ex- out of, away from exo- exterior, outward extra- outside faci- face, facies fascia- band (fibrous) fibr-, fibro- fiber fossa- ditch, pit front- forehead galacto-, galact- milk gastro-, gastr- stomach genu- knee gingiva-, gingiv- gums glauc-, glauco- gray or bluish-gray color gloss-, glosso-, glott-, glotto- tongue gluco- glucose glyco- sugar gnath-, gnatho- jaw gon-, gono- seed, semen, reproductive gravid- pregnant gyne-, gyn-, gyno- woman (also gynae-, gynaeco-, gyneco-) halluc- to wander in mind hemi- half hemo-, haemo- blood (also hem-, hema-, hemat-, hemato-) hepato-, hepat-, hepatico- liver heter-, hetero- the other, different hidr-, hidro- sweat hist-, histio-, histo- tissue homeo-, home-, homo- similar, the same humer-, humero- shoulder hydro-, hydr- water hyper- excessive hypo- deficient hyster-, hystero- uterus, womb iatro-, iatr- medicine, or physician idio- self, one's own ile- intestine (part) ileo- ilium ili- hip bone infra- below inter- between intra- inside iri-, irid-, irido- iris (eye) isch- restriction ischi-, ischio- ischium iso- equal, like karyo- nucleus kerat-, kerato- cornea, scaly kilo- thousand kin-, kine-, kinesi- movement kinesio-, kino- movement koil-, koilo- hollow kyph-, kypho- humped labia-, labio- lip lacrim-, lacrimo- tear lacto-, lacti-, lact- milk lapar-, laparo- abdomen laryng-, laryngo- larynx latero-, later- side, lateral lei-, leio- smooth lepto- light, slender leuko-, leuk-, leuc-, leuco white lingua-, linguo- tongue lip-, lipo- fat lith-, litho- stone log-, logo- speech lymph-, lympho- fluid lys-, lyso- dissolution macro-, macr- large, long mamm-, mammo-, mast-, masto- breast mammill-, mammillo- nipple manu- hand meg-, mega- large megal-, megalo- large melan-, melano- black melos- extremity mening-, meningo- membrane meno-/mens- menstruate mero- part meso-, mes- middle meta- after, behind metro-, metr- uterus, womb micro-, micr- small milli- thousandth mono-, mon- one, single morph-, morpho- form, shape muscul-, musculo- muscle my-, myo- muscle myc-, myco- fungus myelo-, myel- bone marrow, spinal cord myo-, my- muscle myring-, myringo- eardrum myx-, myxo- mucus narc-, narco- numb, sleep nares-/nas-, naso- nostril, nose natus- birth nec-, necro- death neo- new nephro-, nephr- kidney nerv- nervous system neuro-, neur-, neuri- nerve, nervous system normo- normal ocul-, oculo- eye odont-, odonto- tooth odyn-, odyno- pain oesophago- gullet ole- small, little olig-, oligo- few, little om-, omo- shoulder omphalo-, omphal- navel, umbilicus onco- tumor, bulk, volume onych-, onycho- fingernail, toenail oo- egg, ovary oophoro-, oophor- ovary ophthal-, ophthalm-, ophthalmo- eye optic-, optico- eye or-, oro- mouth, bone orchid-, orchi-, orchido- testes ortho-, orth- straight, normal, correct osseo- bony ossi- bone osteo-, oste-, ost- bone oto-, ot- ear, hearing ovario-, ovo-, ovari- ovary ovi-, ovo-, ov- egg oxo- addition of oxygen oxy- sharp, acid, acute, oxygen pachy- thick palpebr- eyelid pan-, pant-, panto- all, entire, complete papill- nipple papul-, papulo- pimple, swelling in the skin para- beside, alongside of, abnormal part- birth; labor parvo- small path-, patho- disease ped-/paed- child ped-/pod-, pes- foot pelv-, pelvi-, pelvo- hip bone peo- penis per- through peri- around, about phaco- lens shaped phago- eating, devouring phallo- phallus pharmaco- drug, medicine pharyng-, pharyngo- pharynx phleb-, phlebo- vein phob-, phobo- exaggerated fear, sensitivity phon-, phono- sound phos- light phot-, photo- light phrenic-, phren-, phrenico-, phreni-, phreno- diaphragm plasty- surgical repair, reconstruction pleio- more, excessive, multiple pleur-, pleuro-, pleuri- pleura of the lung pneumo-, pneumat-, pneumato- lung, air pod-, podo- foot poly- many, multiplicity por-, poro- pore, porous porphyr-, porphyro- purple post-, posto- behind, after, posterior pre- before, anterior presby-, presbyo- old age prim- first, most important pro- forward, before procto-, proct- rectum, anus proto-, prot- first, most important pseudo- false psycho-, psyche-, psych- mind, soul pulm-, pulmon-, pulmo- lung pyelo-, pyel- bowel or kidney, pelvis pyo- pus pyro- fever quadri-, quadr- four rachi-, rachio- spine radio- radiation, radius re- again, backward rect-, recto- rectum ren-, reno- kidney reticul-, reticulo- net retro- backward, behind rhabd-, rhabdo- rod-shaped, striated rhin-, rhino- nose rhod-, rhodo- red rubr-, rubro- red nucleus of the brain salpingo-, salping- tube sangui-, sanguine- blood sarco- muscular, fleshlike schisto-, schist- split, cleft schiz-, schizo- split, cleft, division scler-, sclero- hardness scoli-, scolio- twisted sebum- wax, suet semi- one-half, partly semin- seed sial-, sialo- saliva, salivary gland sigmoid-, sigmoido- sigmoid, sigmoid colon sinistr-, sinistro- left, left side sinus- sinus sito- food, grain soma-, somato-, somat-, somatico- body spasmo- spasm sperma-, spermato-, spermo- sperm splanchn-, splanchni-, splanchno- viscera splen-, splendo- spleen spondyl-, spondylo- spine squam-, squamos-, squamoso- scaly steno-, sten- narrowness, constriction steth, stetho- upper chest stheno- strength, force, power stoma-, stom-, stomato-, stomat- mouth stric- narrowing sub- below, beneath super- above supra- above sy-, syl- together sym-, syn-, sys- together tachy- rapid, fast thec- case, sheath thel-, thelo-, thele- nipple thely- woman, feminine therm-, thermo- heat thorac-, thoracico-, thoraco- thorax thrombo-, thromb- clot thym-, thymo-, thymia- emotions thyr-, thyro- thyroid gland toco- childbirth tono- tone, tension, pressure top-, topo- place, topical tox-, toxi-, toxico-, toxo- toxin, poison trache-, tracheo- trachea trachel-, trachelo- neck trans- across, through, beyond trich-, trichi-, trichia-, tricho- hair, hairlike structure tympan-, tympano- eardrum ultra- beyond, excessive umbilic- navel, umbilicus ungui- nail, claw uni-, un- one uri-, uric-, urico- uric acid ur-, uro- urine urin- urine, urinary system uter-, utero- uterus, womb vagin- vagina varic-, varico- swollen or twisted vein vas-, vaso- blood vessel, duct vasculo- blood vessel ven- veins ventro-, ventr- belly, stomach vesic-, vesico- bladder, sac viscera-, viscer-, viscero- organ xanth-, xantho- yellow, yellowish xeno-, xen- foreign, different zoo-, zo- animal, animal life zym-, zymo- fermentation, enzyme |
| Suffix and meaning: -able capable of doing the thing indicated by the stem or prefix -ac, acal- pertaining to -acanth thorn or spine -acea an order of animal forms -acusis hearing or vision -ad toward, in the direction of -aemia blood condition -aer-, -aero air, gas -agra excessive pain -al pertaining to -algesia, -algesic, -algetic, -algia, -algic pain -algia pain -an relating to, native of, like -apharesis removal -ar pertaining to -ary pertaining to -ase enzyme -asthenia weakness -ation process -atresia absence of a normal body opening, occlusion, closure -bacter bacterial -blast, -blasty germ, embryo, initial stage of development -blepharon eyelid -brachial arm -capnia carbon dioxide -cardia, -cardium heart -carpal wrist -cecal cecum -cele swelling, pouching, hernia, protrusion -centesis puncture, surgical puncture for aspiration -cheiria, -chiria hand -cholecystis gallbladder -chondrion like a grain -chromia, -chromy pigmentation -cidal, -cide killing, destroying -clasia, -clasis, -clast break -cleisis, -cleises, -clisis, -clises closure, obstruction, occlusion -clysis irrigating, washing -coccus, -cocci berry shape (a form of bacteria) -crania skull -crine secrete within, separate -crit to separate -cubital ulna; caused by lying in bed -cule small -cyst sac -cystic bladder, gallbladder -cyte, -cytial, -cytium, -cytia cell -dactyl finger, toe -dema swelling (fluid) -dentate, -dont tooth -derm. -derma, -dermata- skin -desis surgical fixing, binding -drome run, running -duct opening -dynia pain -eal pertaining to -ectasis enlargement, expansion, dilation -ectomy surgical removal -ectopia displacement -edema swelling, edema -elcosis ulceration -ema pathological condition -emesis vomiting -emia blood condition, blood -encepha, -encephalus, -encephali brain -er one who -eremia lack, absence -eresis taking -esis condition -esophageal gullet -facient making, causing -fibular fibula -form in the form or shape of -galact milk -gen origin or production -gene gene -genesis origin, cause -genic, -genetic source, origin, producing, originating, causing -glossa tongue -gnath jaw -gnosis knowledge -gram, -graph picture, recording instrument -graphy process of recording -gyn, -gyne, -gynous, -gyny woman -humeral upper arm, shoulder -ia, -iasis condition -ial pertaining to -iasis condition -iatrics treatment -iatry treatment, physician -ic pertaining to -ician one who -icle small -ics organized knowledge, treatment -ictal seizure, attack -ide a binary chemical compound -idium small, lesser one -iform having the form of -in antibiotic, hormone, vitamin -ine alkaloid -ion, -isation act, result, state of -ism condition, disease -ismus spasm, contraction -ist one who specializes in -ite the nature of, resembling -itic resembling, chraacterized by -itis inflammation, disease -ity quality, state -ium structure, tissue -kinesis motion -labial lips -lalia speech disorder of prefix -lemma covering, sheath, membrane -lepsis, -lepsy seizure -logist one who specializes in study or treatment of -logy study of -lumbar loins -lysis separation -lytic dissolution -malacia softening -mania madness, insane desire -megaly enlarged -meter instrument for measuring -metrium, -metria part or layer of the uterus -metry process of measuring -morph form, shape -nema threadlike -neura having veins like prefix -nomy knowledge -nym name -odia smell -odon, -odont, -odontia, -odus teeth -odynia pain -oesophageal gullet -oid like, similar -ole diminutive, small -ologist one who studies and practices (specialist) -ology study of -olysis breakdown -oma tumor, swelling -omata tumors -omphalos, -omphalus umbilicus, navel, umbilical cord -on basic genetic element, inert gas -ont living being, cell, organism -onchyia, -onyxis condition of fingernails or toenails -onym name -oorhagia rapid flow of blood -oorhaphy suturing, repairing -ophthalmos eye -opia vision (condition) -opsy to view -orchidism testicle -orexia, -orexic appetite -orrhea flow, excessive discharge -orrhexis rupture -ory connected with, belonging to -osis disease, condition (when used with blood cell word roots, means increased) -ostomy surgical opening -ostosis tumor, bony growth -otic ear -otomy incision -ous pertaining to -oxia oxygen -paedic, -pedic, -pede, -pedia feet -para give birth to; number of children -paresis slight paralysis -path one who is diseased or suffering -pathy, -pathic disease -penia deficiency; abnormal reduction in number -pepsia digestion -pexy fixation (tissue), suspension -phagia, -phage swallow, spasm, contraction, swallowing -phago eating, devouring -phagy eating, devouring -phasia speech disorder -pheresis removing, taking away, extraction -phil, -philia attraction for -phily, -phile, -philus, -phila, philic love -phleb, -phlebo vein -phobia, phobic fear, abnormal fear of or aversion to specific objects or things -phonia, -phone sound or voice -phoresis transmission -phoria, -phore feeling -phorous carrying -phrenia mental disorder -phthisis waste away, wane, decay -phylaxis protection -physis growth (physical) -plasia formation, development -plasm growth, substance, formation -plasty plastic surgery -plegia paralysis -plexy stroke or seizure -ploid having the number of sets of chromosomes indicated by the prefix -pnea, -pnoea breathing -pod foot -poiesis production, formation -porosis passage -prandial meal -praxia in front of, before -ptosis dropping down, falling, downward placement, sagging, prolapse -ptysis spitting -rachidia spine -rhine, -rrhine nose -rrhage burst forth -rrhagia hemorrhage, discharge -rrhaphy suture, stitch -rrhea, -rrhoea flowing -rrhexis rupture -rrhoea flowing, discharge -salpinx fallopian tube -sarc flesh, soft tisse -sarcoma tumor, cancer -schisis split, fissure -sclerosis hardening -scope picture, inspection -scopic visual examination -scopy use of instrument for viewing -sepsis infection -soma body -some chromosome, region of a body -sis condition of -spasm sudden and involuntary muscle -sperma, -spermum, -spermal, -spermous, -spermy seed, semen, race, origin -stalsis contraction -stasis, -stasia stoppage, stand -staxis dripping, trickling -stenosis constriction, narrowing -stomy beneath -tarsal tarsus -taxial, -tactic arrangement, order, pattern -tension, -tensive pressure (blood) -therm temperature -thorax chest -thymia condition of the mind -tibial tibia -tocia birth, labor -topia, -topic being in a place or location -toxic poisonous -tic pertaining to -tome cutting instrument -tomy cutting operation -tony tension -tripsyc, -tripsy crushing -trophy tissue, nourishment -ty quality, state, condition -type, -typic, -typy kind, pattern, type, model -ula, -ule small -ulnar ulna -uria urine -y condition or process of -yl in chemistry, a radical -zoa living things -zygous a zygotic nature of the prefix -zyme enzyme |