Medical Prefixes, Suffixes and Roots
Prefix, suffix
or root
Meaning
Prefix, suffix
or root
Meaning
a-, an-
no, not, without
circum-
around
aden/o
glands
col/o
colon, large intestine
aesthes-
feeling, sensation
colp/o
vagina
-al
pertaining to
con-
together with
-algia
pain
contra-
against
andr-
male
cost/o
ribs
angi/o
vessels, such as blood
vessels
crine
secretory gland
cryo-
cold
ankyl-
crooked, bent, stiff
crypto-
hidden
ante-
before
cyst
bladder
anti-
against, counter
cyt
cell
dactyl
finger(s)
arthr/o,
articul/o
joint
aur/o
ears
dermat
skin
auto-
self
-dynia
pain
bi-
two
dys-
difficult, painful
bio-
life
-ectomy
cutting out
blephar
eyelid
electr/o
electric, electricity
brady-
slow
encephal
brain (ie. en - inside,
cephal - head)
cardi
heart
encephal/o
brain
caud
tail (lower end of spine)
end/o-
within, inside
cephal
head
enter/o
gut, intestine
chol/e
gall, bile
epi-
upon
erythro-
red
chondr/o
cartilage
-cide
causing death
1
Medical Prefixes, Suffixes and Roots
Prefix, suffix
or root
Meaning
Prefix, suffix
or root
Meaning
eu-
well, normal, good
-itis
inflammation
extra-, exo-
external, outside
labio
lips
fibro
relating to fibrous tissue
lacrim
tear duct
gastr
stomach
lapar
abdomen
gen
producing
laryng/o
larynx
gingiv
gum
leuco-, leuko-
white
gloss
tongue
lien
spleen
gram
tracing, picture, record
lith
stone
-graphy
recording
-logy
science or study of
gyn-
woman
-lysis
breaking down
haem
blood
macro-
large
hemi-
half
mal-
bad, abnormal
hepat
liver
mamm, mast
breasts
hetero-
different
mandibul
lower jaw
homo-
same
maxilla
upper jaw
hydro-
water
mega-
big
hyper-
above
men/o, mens
menses, menstruation
(menstrual period)
hypo-
below
metr/i
uterus
hyster
uterus
-metry
measurement
-ia
state or condition
micro-
small
infra-
below
mono-
single
inter-
between
morph
body form/shape
multi-
many
intra-
within
iso-
equal
2
Medical Prefixes, Suffixes and Roots
Prefix, suffix
or root
Meaning
Prefix, suffix
or root
Meaning
my
muscle
ot/o
ear
myco
fungus
paed
child
myel
bone marrow
-paenia
deficiency of
natal
birth
pan-
all, entire
necro-
death
para-
apart from, beside
neo-
new
-pathy
disease
nephr
kidney
per-
through
neur
nerve
peri-
around, surrounding
normo-
normal
phag-
eating, swallowing
ocul
eyes
-philia
attraction for, love of
oedema
swelling with fluid
phleb
vein
-oid
like
-plasm-
growth, formation
-ology
science or study of
-plasty
surgical repair
-oma
growth, tumour
pneum/o
lung, air
onco
cancer
-pnoea
breath
onych
nails
pod
feet
oo
eggs (ovaries)
poly-
many
ophthalm
eyes
post-
after
or
mouth
pre-, pro-
before
orchi(d)
testis
proct
rectum
ortho-
straight, normal, upright
pseudo-
false
-osis
disease, abnormal
condition
psych
mind
py
pus
osteo
bone
3
Medical Prefixes, Suffixes and Roots
Prefix, suffix
or root
Meaning
Prefix, suffix
or root
Meaning
pyel
renal pelvis, pelvis of the
kidney
ultra-
beyond
uni-
one
quadri-
four
vaso
radio
radiology, x-rays etc.
vessels (esp. blood
vessels)
retro-
behind
-y
condition or process of
rhin/o
nose
-rrhoea
flow, discharge
salping
fallopian tubes
sarco
flesh, connective tissue
scope
viewer, instrument for
visual examination
-scopy
visual examination
splen
spleen
spondyl
vertebra, vertebral
column
-stasis
controlling, stopping the
flow
stomy
new opening, mouth
sub-
below
super-, supra-
above
syn-
together
thromb/o
blood clotting
tome
cutting instrument
-tomy
cutting into
tri-
three
4