Medical Terminology: Prefixes, Suffixes, and Combining Forms

A collection of 100 vocabulary flashcards covering medical prefixes, suffixes, surgical suffixes, procedural suffixes, and number prefixes.

-gram

Record / picture

-graph

Instrument for recording

-graphy

Process of recording

-meter

Instrument for measuring

-metry

Process of measuring

-scope

Instrument for viewing

-scopy

Process of visually examining

-algia

Pain

-itis

Inflammation

-rrhea

Abnormal flow condition

-rrhexis

Rupture

-genic

Producing, produced by

-sclerosis

Hardening

-la

State, condition

-stenosis

Narrowing

-iasis

Abnormal condition

-therapy

Treatment

-latry

Medical treatment

-trophy

Nourishment, development

-ism

State of

-ule

Small

-logist

One who studies

-logy

Study of

-Lysis

Destruction

-lytic

Destruction

-malacia

Abnormal softening

-megaly

Enlargement, large

-oid

Resembling

-oma

Tumor, mass

-osis

Abnormal condition

-pathy

Disease

-phobia

Fear

-plasia

Development, growth

-plasm

Formation, development

-ptosis

Drooping

-rrhagia

Excessive, abnormal flow

-centesis

Puncture to withdraw fluid

-ectomy

Surgical removal

-ostomy

Surgically create an opening

-otomy

Cutting into

-pexy

Surgical fixation

-plasty

Surgical repair

Surgical suffixes

A category of suffixes designating operative procedures, including -centesis, -ectomy, -ostomy, -otomy, -pexy, and -plasty

macro-

Large

micro-

Small

hetero-

Different

homo-

Same

myo-

To shut

neo-

New

hydro-

Water

hypo-

Under, below

pan-

All

in-

Not, inward

para-

Beside, near, abnormal

inter-

Among, between

peri-

Around, surrounding

intra-

Within, inside

pre-

Before, in front of

post-

After

pro-

Before

a-

Without, away from

pseudo-

False

an-

Without

retro-

Backward, behind

ante-

Before, in front of

sub-

Below

anti-

Against

supra-

Above

auto-

Self

tachy-

Fast

brady-

Slow

trans-

Through, across

contra-

Against

ultra-

Beyond, excess

de-

Without, removal

dys-

Painful, difficult, abnormal

endo-

Within, inner

epi-

Upon, over

eso-

Inward

eu-

Normal

Ex-

External, outward

exo-

Outward

extra-

Outside of

-dynia

Pain

-cyte

Cell

-cele

Hernia, protrusion

-ectasis

Dilatation

-gen

That which produces

-genesis

Produces, generates

nulli

None

mono

One

primi

First

bi

Two

hemi

Half

semi

Partial, half

tri

Three

quadri

Four

tetra

Four

multi

Many

poly

Many