NS 103A – Basic Nursing Skills: Medical Terminology (Prefixes, Suffixes, Combining Forms & Abbreviations)

Vocabulary flashcards covering prefixes, suffixes, combining forms, and key abbreviations from the NS 103A Medical Terminology lecture.

a-, an-, in-

without; absence of

ab-

away from

ad-

toward

anti-

against

auto-

self

bi-

two; twice

brady-

slow

cata-

down

centi-

one-hundredth

circum-

around; circular

con-

with; together

contra-

opposed; against

deci-

one-tenth

dia-, trans-

through; across

dis-

apart; not

dys-

painful; difficult; abnormal

ec-, ecto-

out; outside

en-, endo-, intra-

within; inner

epi-

above; upon

eu-

good; normal

ex-, extra-

outside of; away from

hemi-

half

homo-, homeo-

same; alike

hyper-, supra-

excessive; above

hypo-, sub-, infra-

below; beneath; deficient

inter-

between

ipsi-

same

iso-

equal; same

kilo-

one thousand

macro-

large; long

mal-

bad; inadequate

mega-, megalo-

abnormally large

micro-

small

milli-

one-thousandth

mono-

one

multi-, poly-

many; much

neo-

new

nulli-

none

oligo-

deficiency; few

para-, peri-

beside; near

post-

after; following

pre-

before

pro-

before; forward

pseudo-

false

quadri-

four

re-, retro-

back; behind

semi-

half

tachy-

rapid

tri-

three

tox-

poisonous

ultra-

beyond; excess

un-

not

uni-

one; single

xero-

dry

-al, -ac, -ar, -ary, -eal, -ic, -ory, -ous

pertaining to

-acusis, -cusis

hearing condition

-algia, -algesia, -dynia

pain

-asthenia

weakness

-capnia

carbon dioxide

-cele

hernia; swelling

-centesis

surgical puncture

-cide, -cidal

killing; destroying

-clast, -clasia, -clasis

breaking

-cyte

cell

-dilation, -dilatation

expansion; widening

-dipsia

thirst

-ectasis, -ectasia

dilation; expansion

-ectomy

surgical removal

-edema

swelling

-emia

blood condition

-emesis

vomiting

-esthesia

sensation; feeling

-gen, -genesis, -genic

producing; originating

-gram

record

-graph

recording instrument

-graphy

process of recording

-gravida

pregnant woman

-iasis, -ism

pathologic condition; state

-itis

inflammation

-kinesis, -kinesia

movement

-lapse

falling; slipping

-logist

specialist in study/treatment

-logy

study of

-lysis

destruction; dissolution

-malacia

softening

-megaly

enlargement

-meter, -metry

measurement; measuring device

-oid

resembling

-ole, -ule

small

-oma

tumor; mass

-opia, -opsia

vision condition

-orexia

appetite

-osis

abnormal condition

-oxia

oxygen

-paresis

partial paralysis

-pathy

disease

-pause

cessation

-penia

deficiency

-pepsia

digestion

-pexy

surgical fixation