Ed's Medical Terminology Page
Courtesy of Ed Friedlander, MD (http://www.pathguy.com/medvocab.htm)
Part 1 – Stems
Part 2 – Prefixes (page 7)
Part 3 – Suffixes (page 8)
Stems
acanth
aceto
acou
acro
actin
acu
adeno
adipo
aero
(a)esth
agogue
agon
ala
alb
algo
alien
allelo
amauros
am(o)eb
ambi/amph
ambly
ambul(o)amnio
amylo
andro
angio
ankyl
annulus
anser
anthem
anthrac
anthro
aort
aphro
aqu
spine, prickle
vinegar
hear
extremity, tip, sharp
ray, beam
sharp, abrupt, sudden
gland
fat
air
perception
leader
contest, struggle
wing
white
pain
stranger, strange
one another, mutual
blind
constantly changing
both sides
dim, faint
walk
amnion, "bowl"
starch
male
vessel (blood, bile)
bent, crooked; a locked joint
little ring
goose
flower
black
man / human
aorta
froth, sexual love
water
arachn
archo
argy
artero
arthro
artic
asthm
athero
atri
axilla
axo
aud
aur
aus
auto
aux
azo
bac(t)
ball
balano
blast
blenno
bleph
bol
brachi
brady
branch
bronch
bucc
burs
caes
c(h)ord
c(o)ele
carpo
spider, spiderweb
ancient, beginning
silver, shiny
artery (as opposed to vein)
joint
little joint
panting, short breaths
gruel
entry chamber
armpit
center, axis
hear
hear
hear
self
make grow
nitrogen
rod
throw
acorn, glans
sprout
snot
eyelid
throw
arm
slow
gill
bronchus
cheek (inside)
bursa, purse
cut deep
notochord
rupture
wrist
1
calci
calco
calyc
campy
canc
capo
centr
carbo
carcin
carcinoma
card
carot
carpo
caus
centesis
centr
cep(h)
cephal
cept
cereb(r)
cervic
ch(e)ir
chemo
chlor
chol(e)
chondr
chorea
chori
chrom
chron
chyle
cide
cise
cili
cion
clast
claustr
cleido
clino
clivus
coagul
coccus
coccyx
collic
collo
limestone
heel, spur
cup
bend
crab
head, expanded part
center
charcoal, carbon
crab
cancer from epithelium
heart, heart-shape
great neck arteries
wrist
burn
puncture
center
head, expanded part
head
seize, take
brain
neck
hand
chemistry
light green
bile
cartilage; grain
dance
chorionic membrane
color
time, long time
digested food juice
killing, "falling"
cut deep
eyelash
uvula
break
barrier
collarbone, key
bed
slope
coagulate, clot
berry
cuckoo, cuckoo bill
hill
glue
collus
conios
cond
core
cori
corn
cox(a)
corp
cre(s)c
cribi
crine
cubit
cubo
cule
culpo
cuneo
cutis
cyan
cycl
cysto
cyto
dacr
dacty
demos
dens
dent
derm
desm
desis
desmo
dextro
diadocho
didym
digi(t)
diphth
docho
drepan
dromo
duc, duct
dynia
echin
echo
ectasia
edem(a)
embol
neck
dust
hard knob
dolly, pupil (of eye)
leather
horn
hip
physical body
grow
sieve
Secretion(separation)
elbow
lay down
little
vagina
wedge
skin
dark blue
circle, wheel
urinary bladder
cell
tear (from the eye)
finger
people
tooth
tooth
skin
harden, bind together
binding
hard
right-sided
succeed, take over
twin
finger, toe
leathery membrane
cup, container
sickle
running a race; course
lead, guide
pain
spiny
echo
dilatation
excess tissue fluid / "swelling"
bottle stopper
2
embryo
emesis
em(ia)
enceph
enchyme
entero
ergo
erythro
esthesia
f(a)eco
fac
facie
fasc
fec
fer
fibr
fic
fis, fid
fistula
flagel
flav
flat
flect
flex
fora/foro
fornic
fract
frag
fring
fuge
fun
fus
gala(k)
gam(y)
gangl
gangr
galact
gastr
gemin
gen
genesis
genu
ger
gest
glans
embryo, fetus
vomiting
blood
brain
filling, installation
intestine
work
red
perception
feces, refuse
make, build, do, perform
face, countenance, looks
bundle, fascia
make, build, do, perform
carrying, bearing
fibrous
make, build, do, perform
split, cleave, divide
pipe
whip
yellow
blow
bend
bend
make a hole
arch
break into pieces
break into pieces
break into pieces
flee
melt, pour
melt, pour
milk
marry
knot
gangrene, gnawing sore
milk
stomach, belly
twin
become, beget, produce
origin
knee
old age
bring forth, produce
acorn
gleno
gli(o)
glob
glomer
gloss
glute
gnatho
gnosis
gogue
gono
gonio
gracile
gram
gran
graph
gryph
gynec
(h)(a)em
habeo
halluc
helic
helm
hermaphro
hepat
hernia
hidr
hippo
histo
hy(a)l
hydatid
hydro
hypno
hystero
iatric
iatro
ichth
idio
inguin
insul
irid
ischi
islet
ject
jejun
junc
shoulder
glial cells, literally "glue"
sphere, ball, round body
tuft
tongue
buttocks
jaw
know
lead
offspring, product, seed, semen
angle
slender
record
grain
writing, scratching
claw
female
blood
to hold, habit, general state of
big toe
spiral
worm
male and female in one body
liver
rupture, hernia
sweat
horse
tissue, web, cloth
glass, primitive material
water drop
water
sleep
uterus
healing
physician
fish
self, personal, private
part of body from groin to hip
island
rainbow, bright-color circle
hip joint
island
throw, hurl
hungry
join together
3
jug
jux
karyo
kera
kern
kerato
kine
kyn
lachry
labio
lacto
lal
latero
lecith
leiomyo
lein
lens
lepros
lepto
leuco/leuko
levo
liga(t)
ling
lith
lumbo
lumbri
lumen
lymph
lysis
malar
mal(i)
malacia
malako
malleo
mania
medi
medulla
meli
mere
manu
mara
mast(i)
mast(o)
mea
meatus
join together
join together
nucleus
horny
kernel, deep brain
skin surface, cornea, horn
set in motion
dog
tear (from the eye)
lip
milk
babble, talk
side
egg yolk
smooth muscle
spleen
lentil
rough and rotting off
thin, fine, slender
white
left-sided
bind together, bandage
tongue
stone
lower back, loin
earthworm
the tube down a hollow organ
"clear fresh water"
breaking down
cheek (outside)
abnormal, bad
soft
soft
hammer
wild about
middle portion
soft inner part
sweet
part
hand
wither
whip, flog, beat
breast
passage
external opening
meios
melano
melia
mening
men(i)s
ment
meter
metro
mito
mnem
mnes
mob
morb
morph
mot
muco/myxo
mur(al)
musc
myc(o)
myelo
myi
myo
myxo/muco
narco
naso
necro
nephelo
nephr
nerv
neuro
nos, nox
nous
nyct
occiput
ocul
(h)odo
odon
odyn
olfact
oma
omen(t)
omphalo
on(e/t)
onco
onycho
o”
lessening
black
limb
meninges
moon, month
mind, chin
measure
uterus
thread
memory
memory
move
sick
shapes, dreams
move
slime
wall
mouse, muscle
fungus
soft, pith
fly (insect)
muscle
slime
sleep
nose
dead
cloud
kidney
nerve
nerve
nasty, sickening
mind, spirit
night
back of the head
eye
way, path, road
tooth
pain
smell
tumor/lump
omentum
belly button
to be
tumor, mass
nail (finger/toe)
egg
4
o”phor
op / opsy
ophth
opio
opsi
opson
orbi
orch
org
oro
ortho
os
osm
ost(eo)
ot(o)
ovin
oxy
p(a)ed
palpebr
pannus
pap
par(i)t
parietal
partheno
partum
patho
pect
pelvis
pes/ped
phage
phakos
pharmako
phase
pheo
phero
philo
phlebo
phleg
phobia
phoco
phoro
phos/phot
phragm
phren
phth
ovary
eye, see, etc.
eye
poppy juice
late
relish, meat seasoning
wheel
testis
work
mouth
straight
bone, mouth
smell
bone
ear
sheep
oxygen, acid
child
eyelid
cloth, rag
nipple
have a baby
wall
virgin
birth
disease, misery
chest
basin
foot
eat
lentil, lens of the eye
sorcery, poison, drug
phase
ugly, dusky
carry, bear
like, love
vein
flame
fear
seal (the animal)
carry, bear
light
divide into two, wall off
mind, breath
waste away, wither
phyllo
physio
phyte
pineo
pinna
pino
pisi
pituit
placent
plak
plantar
plasm
plast
platy
plegia
pleur
plex
plexy
plic
pn(e)
pod(o)
poie(sis)
polio
pollic
pomp
porph
porta
posthe
prac
prag
prax
pre/pro
procto
pron(o)
proto
pseud
psyche
psychr
pter
pto
pty(alo)
pulmo
punct
pupa
purp
leaf-like
nature
a plant
pine cone
feather
drink
pea
snot
cake, placenta
cake
sole of the foot
molded
molded
flat
stroke, paralysis
pleura ("side of ribs")
braid, wind together
stroke
braid, wind together
breath
foot
making
gray; gray matter of CNS
thumb
precede, parade
purple
door
foreskin
done
done
done
before
rectum
prone, face down
first
false
spirit, mind
cold, frigid
wing
droop
spit
lung
prick, little spot
doll, miniature figure
purple
5
pyelo
pykno
pyo
p(u/y)ri
pyr(o)
radi
r(h)ach
re(i)n
ret(ic)
rhabdo
rhaph
rheo
rheum
rhino
riso
rrha(g)
rub(r)
sacc
sacch(ar)
salpinx
sang(ui)
sapro
sarc(o)
sarcoma
scato
scapho
schi(s/z)
sclero
scope
sebo
sec/seg
sella
seps/sept
septo
sero
sial
sinus
skel
soma/somy
spasmo
spondylo
sphinct
sphygno
spir
splanchn
vat, basin, pelvis
shrivelled
pus
pear
fever (cognate to "fire")
rod
backbone
kidney
net
striated muscle
sew together
flow
runny stuff
nose
smile
discharge from a burst vessel
red
sack
sugar
trumpet, oviduct
blood
dead
flesh
cancer from CT or muscle
feces, filth
boat
split
hard
examine carefully
hard fat, skin grease, suet
cut
saddle
make rotten
fence, partition
whey, wet protein
saliva
hollow or pocket
dried up, skeleton
body
a drawing tight
spine
bind tight, squeeze shut
heartbeat
breathing
innards
staphyl
stasis
stat
statio
staxis
stem
steato
sterco
sthen
stigm
stole
stom(a)
stomy
strepto
stylo
sudo
sulco
syring
tachy
tact
tainia
talo
tasis
tarso
taxo
telo
temporal
ten(d)o
terato
theca
thel
thenar
thym
thym
thyro
toco
tom(e)
tono
topo
tort
tox(o)
trema
tricho
trophy
tryps
bunch of grapes
standing up, being stable
stop
standing up, being stable
drip, drop
standing up, being stable
fat
feces
strength
spot
to pull, to draw
mouth
mouth
wavy
stylus
sweat
plowed furrow
pipe, tube, reed
fast, swift
touch
band, tapeworm
ankle
stretch
flat plate
arrangement, put in order
the tip, the end
temple
stretch, tendon
monster
box (sheath, covering)
breast, covering layer
palm, sole
mind, spirit, mood
warty mass, thymus gland
oblong shield
have a baby
cut
stretch
place
twist
bow, arrow, poisoned arrow
hole
hair
grow/food
break into many pieces, crush
6
tuber bump, potato(e)
typho smoky, delirious fever
typhl cecum
unguis nail (finger, toe)
uro
urine
uvo
grape
vacc
cow
vago wanderer
valgus turned outward
varus turned inward
vaso
blood vessel
velo
veil, curtain, cover
vener sexual acts, lusty
veno vein (as opposed to artery)
vert
turn
vesico bladder
viscero innards
volv
turn around, twist around
xantho yellow
xeno stranger
xero
dry
z(a)o to live
zo”
animals
zema boiled
zygo
yoke
zyme ferment
Prefixes
a(d)a(n)abab(s)adalloambiamphianaanisoanteantiap-,apobi(s)biobrachy-
towards
without
from
away from
towards
other, another
both
on both sides, around
up to, back, again, movement from
different, unequal
before, forwards
against, opposite
from, back, again
twice, double
life
short
catacircumconcontracytededecadi(s)diadi(a)s
diplodolichodurdyse-, ecectoekemenendoentepiesoeueuryex-,exoextrahaplohaptohemiheptheterohexhomohyperhypoim-, inininfrainterintraintroisojuxtakata-
down
around
together
against
cell
from, away from, down from
ten
two
through, complete
separation
double
long
hard, firm
bad, abnormal
out, from out of
outside, external
out
in
into
into
within
on, up, against, high
I will carry
well, abundant, prosperous
broad, wide
out, from out of
outside, beyond, in addition
single
bind to
half
seven
different
six
same
above, excessive
below, deficient
not
into, to
below, underneath
among, between
within, inside, during
inward, during
equal,same
adjacent to
down, down from
7
macromagnomedimegamegalomesometamicroneononoboctaoctooligopachypanparapentperperipleopoly
postpreprosproxpseudoquar(t)re, redretrosemisexseptsubsupersuprasynsystetrathiotranstriuniultra-
large
large
middle
large
very large
middle
beyond, between
small
new
not
before, against
eight
eight
few
thick
all
beside, to the side of, wrong
five
by, through, throughout
around, round-about
more than usual
many
behind, after
before, in front, very
besides
besides
false, fake
four
back, again
backwards, behind
half
six
seven
under, beneath
above, in addition, over
above, on the upper side
together, with
together, with
four
sulfur
across, beyond
three
one
beyond, besides, over
Suffixes
-ase
-ate
-cide
-c(o)ele
-ectomy
-form
-ia
-iasis
-ile
-illa
-illus
-in
-ism
-itis
-ity
-ium
-ize
-logy
-megaly
-noid
-oid
-ogen
-ol(e)
-ole
-oma
-osis
-ostomy
-pathy
-penia
-pexy
-plasty
-philia
-rhage
-rhea
-rhexis
-pagus
-sis
-thrix
-tomy
-ule
-um
fermenter
do
killer
cavity, hollow
removal of, cut out
shaped like
got
full of
little version
little version
little version
stuff
theory, characteristic of
inflammation
makes a noun of quality
thing
do
study of, reasoning about
large
mind, spirit
resembling, image of
precursor
alcohol
little version
tumor (usually)
full of
"mouth-cut"
disease of, suffering
lack
fix in place
re-shaping
affection for
burst out
discharge, flowing out
shredding
Siamese twins
idea (makes a noun, typically abstract)
hair
cut
little version
thing (makes a noun, typically concrete)
8