Veterinary Medical Terminology

pre-

before

post-

after

endo-

within

pan-

all

peri-

around or surrounding

poly-

many or much

hyper-

excessive, above, over, or increased

hypo-

less than normal, beneath, under, or decreased

dys-

difficult, painful, or bad

a- or an-

without, no, or negative

ad-

toward or in the direction of

ab-

away from

anti-

against

epi-

upper

extra-

outside

trans-

across

ex- or exo-

without, out of, outside, or away from

inter-

between

intra-

within, into, or inside

oligo-

scant or little

eu-

good, easy, or normal

ecto-

outside or on

sub-

below, under, or less

gastr/o

stomach

cardi/o

heart

leuk/o

white

-ac, -al, -ar, -ary, -an, -eal, -ic, -ine, -ous, -tic

pertaining to

-therapy

treatment

-scope

instrument to view

-itis

inflammation

-ectomy

surgical removal or excision

-tomy

cutting into or incision

-stomy

to surgically produce an artificial opening between an organ and the body surface

-centesis

surgical puncture to remove fluid

-gram

record of or picture

-graph

instrument that records; occasionally used to describe the record or picture

-graphy

procedure that records

-scopy

procedure to visually examine

-megaly

enlargement

-osis

abnormal condition or disease process

-pathy

disease

-lysis

separation or breakdown

-ia

state or condition

-ion

action, process, state, or condition

-ive

performs or tends towards

-um

structure

uria

urination

-penia

deficiency or reduction in number

uni- or mono-

one

bi-, duo-, or dyo-

two

tri-

three

quadri-, quadro-, tetr-, or tetra-

four

quint-, quinqu-, pent-, or penta-

five

sex-, hex-, or hexa-

six

sept-, sept-, hept-, or hepta-

seven

oct-, octa-, or octo-

eight

novem-, nonus-, or ennea

nine

deca-, decem-, dek-, or deka-

ten

hepat/o

liver

cyst/o

urinary bladder, cyst, or sac of fluid

neur/o or neur/i

nerve

oste/o, oss/e, or oss/i

bone

path/o

disease

hemat/o or hem/o

blood

arthr/o

joint

eti/o

cause

chondr/o

cartilage

my/o

muscle

fasc/i or fasci/o

fascia

ten/o, tend/o, or tendin/o

tendon

arteri/o

artery

ven/o or phleb/o

vein

lymph/o

lymph fluid, vessels, or nodes

tonsill/o

tonsil

splen/o

spleen

thym/o

thymus

nas/o or rhin/o

nose

pharyng/o

throat

trache/o

windpipe

laryng/o

voice box

pneum/o, pneumon/o, pulm/o, or pulmon/o

lungs or air

or/o or stomat/o

mouth

esophag/o

esophagus

enter/o

small intestine

col/o or colon/o

large intestine or colon

pancreat/o

pancreas

nephr/o or ren/o

kidney

ureter/o

ureter

urethr/o

urethra

encephal/o

brain

myel/o

spinal

Sacrum

Fourth set of fused vertebrae at the pelvis-spinal column junction, abbreviated S in vertebral formula.

Coccygeal vertebrae

Fifth set of tail vertebrae, abbreviated Co or Cy in vertebral formula.

Ungulate

Animals with hooves.

Pelvis

Hip region.

Acetabulum

Large, cup-shaped socket in the pelvis for the femur.

Scapula

Flat bone of the pectoral girdle, also known as the shoulder blade.

Femur

Proximal hindlimb bone articulating with the pelvis and tibia.

Metacarpals

Bones between carpus and phalanges in forelimbs.

Tarsus

Joint between tibia, fibula, and metatarsals; also called the hock.