HOSA Dental Terminology-Prefixes, Roots, Suffixes

a-

without, away from

acr/o-

extremities

ad-

toward, in the direction of

albus-

white

-algesia

pain

angi/o

vessel

ankyl/o

looped, crooked, stationary

anter/o

before, in front of

bifid/o

split

blepharo

eyelid

brachy-

short

brady-

slow

brux/o

gland, chew

bucca-

cheek, buccal

carcin/o

cancer

cari/o

decay, rot

caud/o

tail

-cele

swelling, hernia

-cente

puncture

cervic/o

neck

cheil/o

lip

chol/r

gall, bile

chondr/o

cartilage

cocc

round

-coccus

round

coll/i

neck

col/o

colon

coron/o

crown

cost/o

rib

-crine

secrete

cutane/o

skin

cut/o-

skin

dacry/o

tear duct

dactyl/o

fingers, toes

de-

from, lack

decidu

falling off

-dema

swelling

-desis

surgical fixation

dia-

complete, through

dipl/o-

double

dors-

back

-dynia

pain

dys-

pain, difficulty

-ectasis

dilation

-ectopy

displacement

edem-

swelling

edemat/o

swelling

edentul/o

toothless

-emesis

vomiting

emet/o

vomit

epi-

over, upper

esthesi/o

feeling

faci-

face

fasci/o

fibrous

-ferous

producing

fiss/o

crack

foramin/o

opening

foss/o

shallow depression

freno

connecting band

gangli/o

nerve plexus

gene-

origin

geront/o

old age

glen/o

socket, pit

glott/i/o

back of tongue

gyne-

woman

hal

breath

hyster

uterus

ile

ileum

infra-

beneath

-ium

small

-ize

remove

jugul

throat

kerat

hard

labi

lips

lacrim

tears

lapar

abdomen

-lith

stone

lith

stone, calculus

-lysis

destruction

-malacia

abnormal softening

mamm

breast

mastic

chew

med-

middle

-megaly

large

melan/o-

black

my

muscle

myel

spinal cord, bone marrow

myxa-

mucus, slime

nar

nose

necr

death

nephr

kidney

ob-

against

occlud

shut

ocul

eye

-oma

tumor

onc

tumor

oophor

ovary

orchis

testes

os-

bone, mouth

ot

ear