Medical Prefixes

Chapter 1

a-, an, ir-, ar-

without, lack of, no-, not

ab-, ef-

away from

ad-, af-

to, toward

ambi-

both, double, two

ana-

apart, up, back, again

ante-

before, in front of

anti-

against, reversed

bi-, bin-, di-, diplo-, co-

two, twice, double

cata-

down, under, against

circum-

around, about, circle

com-, con-, co-

together, with, both (two)

contra-

against, opposite

de-

away from, remove

dia-

across, complete, between, total, apart, through

dis-

apart or away from, reverse

e-

out, to, remove, protrude

ec-

out from, out

ecto-

on outer side, situated on

em-, en-

in, within

endo-

within

epi-

upon, on

ex-, exo-

upon, on, outside, on outer side, outer layer, protrude

extra-

outside

hyper-

excessive, over, above, more

hypo-

under, below, deficient, low, less, lesser

im-, in-

in, into, or not

infra-

below, under

inter-

between

intra-

within

intro-, into-

within, in, into, inward

meta-

beyond, after, change

para-

beside, near, beyond

per-

through, excessive, in

peri-

around

post-

after, behind

pre-, pro-

before, in front of

re-

back, again, contrary

retro-

backward, behind

sub-

under, low, beneath

super-

above, upper, upon, excessive

supra-

above, upper, upon, excessive

sym-, syn-

together, wtih

trans-

across, through, beyond

ultra-

beyond, in excess

erythro/o; ruber/o; rhod/o; eosin (rose red)

red

albus; leuc/o; leuk/o

white

fulvus

brown

cyan/o-; livid/o

blue

melan/o-; nigra

black

glauc/o; cinerous; polio

gray

purpur/o; porphyr/o

purple

cirrh/o-; flavus; xantho/o-; luteo-

yellow

eosin/o-

rose

chlor/o-; viridis

green

coccideus; crimson

scarlet

violaceous

violet

citreum

lemon

rosaceus

pink

uni-, mon-, mono-

one

bin-, bi-, duo, di-, diplo-, co-, dy-, dyo-

two

tri-

three

quadr-, quadri-, tetr-, tetra-

four

quinqu-, pent-, penta-

five

hex-, hexa-

six

sept-, septi-, hept-, hepta-

seven

octo-, octa-, oct-

eight

novem-, ninus-, ennea-

nine

decem-, deca-, dek-, deka-

ten

primi-, proto-, prot-

first

secundi-, secondo-, duet-, deuto-, deutero-

second

tert-, terti-, trito-, trit-

third

centi-, hecto-, hect-, hecato-

one hundred/ one-hundredth part

milli-

one thousand/ one-thousandth part

kilo-

one thousand/ one-thousandth

semi-, hemi-

one half

sesqui-

one and one half

hyper-

over, above, excess

hypo-

under, below

multi-, poly-

many

macro-

large

micro-

small

deci

one-tenth

deca

ten

centa

one hundred

kilo

one thousand

mega

one million

micro

one millionth

giga

one billion

nano

one billionth

pico

one trillionth

femto

one quadrillionth

ambi-

both

amphi-

on both sides

ante-

before

anter/o-

before

dextro/o-

right of

dors/o-

back

epi-

upon

hypo-

under

infra-

beneath or below