Medical Terminology: Suffixes

-a

noun ending

-ac

pertaining to

-aceous

pertaining to

-al

pertaining to

-ale

pertaining to

-algia

pain

-ar

pertaining to

-ary

pertaining to

-atic

pertaining to

-ation

process of

-atory

pertaining to

-cele

hernia, swelling

-crine

to secrete

-cyte

cell

-derma

skin

-dynia

pain

-eal

pertaining to

-ectomy

excision, surgical removal

-edema

swelling

-elle

small, diminutive

-emesis

vomiting

-ent

pertaining to

-esis

condition

-gen

substance that produces; that which creates

-genesis

creation, origin, formation

-genic

creating, producing, causing

-gram

record, radiographic image, picture

-graph

to record, write

-graphy

process of recording

-ia

condition of, abnormal state

-ial

pertaining to

-iatry

specialty, treatment

-ic

pertaining to

-ician

specialist

-ine

pertaining to

-ion

the act of

-ior

pertaining to

-is

noun ending

-ism

condition

-ist

specialist

-itis

inflammation

-logist

specialist in the study of

-logy

study of

-lysis

destruction, separation, dissolution, loosening

-meter

instrument used to measure

-metry

process of measuring

-oma

tumor, mass

-opsy

to view

-osis

abnormal condition, increased number (in the blood)

-ous

pertaining to

-pathy

disease

-pexy

surgical fixation (of an organ)

-phagia

swallowing

-plasm

formation, growth, substance

-plasty

surgical repair

-poiesis

formation

-scope

instrument for examining

-scopy

visual examination

-sis

state of, condition

-stasis

standing still, stopping

-thorax

chest

-tic

pertaining to

-tome

instrument used to cut

-tomy

incision, cutting

-um

tissue, structure, layer

-us

condition, structure

-y

condition, process