Medical Terminology Chapters 3–5: Combining Forms, Prefixes & Suffixes for Nursing

-al

pertaining to

-algia

condition of pain

-ar

pertaining to

-ary

pertaining to

-centesis

surgical puncture to remove fluid

-eal

pertaining to

-ectomy

excision (resection, removal); process of cutting out

-emia

blood condition

-gram

record

-graphy

process of recording

-ia

condition

-ic

pertaining to

-itis

inflammation

-lysis

loosening, breakdown, separation, destruction

-megaly

enlargement

-oma

tumor, mass

-osis

abnormal condition

-pathy

disease condition

-plasty

surgical repair

-rrhage

excess flow of blood

-rrhagia

excess flow of blood

-rrhea

flow, discharge

-sclerosis

hardening

-scopy

process of visual examination

-stomy

opening

-therapy

treatment

-tomy

process of cutting into, incision

-uria

urine condition

aden/o

gland

amni/o

amnion (sac that surrounds the embryo)

angi/o

vessel (blood)

arteri/o

artery

arthr/o

joint

ather/o

fatty plaque

axill/o

armpit

bronch/o

bronchial tube

carcin/o

cancer, cancerous

cardi/o

heart

chem/o

drug, chemical

cholecyst/o

gallbladder

chron/o

time

col/o

colon

crani/o

skull

cry/o

cold

cyst/o

urinary bladder

encephal/o

brain

erythr/o

red

esophag/o

esophagus

hemat/o

blood

hepat/o

liver

hyster/o

uterus

inguin/o

groin

isch/o

to hold back

lapar/o

abdomen

laryng/o

larynx (voice box)

leuk/o

white

mamm/o

breast

mast/o

breast

men/o

menstruation

mening/o

meninges (membranes covering brain and spinal cord)

my/o

muscle

myel/o

bone marrow, spinal cord

necr/o

death

nephr/o

kidney

neur/o

nerve

oophor/o

ovary

oste/o

bone

ot/o

ear

pelv/o

hip bone

peritone/o

peritoneum (membrane around abdominal organs)

phleb/o

vein

pneumon/o

lung

pulmon/o

lung

radi/o

x-ray; radius (lateral lower arm bone)

ren/o

kidney

rhin/o

nose

salping/o

fallopian (uterine) tube; eustachian tube

sarc/o

sacrum

septic/o

infection

thorac/o

chest

tonsill/o

tonsils

trache/o

trachea, windpipe

ur/o

urine, urinary tract

vascul/o

blood vessel

a-, an-

pertaining to

ab-

away from

ad-

toward

ana-

up, apart

ante-

before, forward

anti-

antagonist

bi-

two

brady-

slow

con-

with, together

dia-

complete, through

dys-

abnormal, bad, difficult, painful

ec-

out, outside

endo-

within, in, inner

epi-

above, upon

ex-, extra-

out, outside

hemi-

half