Medical Terminology: Prefixes, Suffixes, and Root Words

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering basic and numeric prefixes, descriptive, diagnostic, and procedural suffixes, as well as medical root words and clinical examples.

a-, an-

no, not

Apnea

no breath.

ab-

away from

Abductor

muscle that moves a limb away from the body.

ad-

toward, near

Adductor

muscle that moves a limb towards the body.

ambi-

both, both sides

ante-

before

anti-

against

auto-

self/own

brachy-

short

Brachydactyly

a condition where fingers and toes are abnormally short.

brady-

slow

Bradycardia

slow heart rate

con-

with, together

contra-

against or opposite

dys-

abnormal, bad, difficult, pain

ecto-

out, outside

en/endo-

within, in, inner

epi-

upon/on/above

exo-

outward, outside

fore-

before, in front of

gero-

old age

glyc-

sugar

hema-/hemat-

blood

hetero-

different

homo-/homeo-

similar

hyper-

above, excessive, too much

Hypo-

under, below, beneath, deficient

in-

in, into

infra-

below, under

inter-

between

intra-

within

leuk-

white

macro-

large

mal-

bad, abnormal

meta-

beyond, change

micro-

very small

neo-

new

non-

no/not

pan-

all

para-

beside, near, along side of

path- / patho-

disease

pedia-

child

peri-

surrounding, around

pre-

before

pro-

first, in front of, forward

pseudo-

false

retro-

backward, back, behind

semi-

half

sub-

below

super-

above/more than normal

supra-

above/over/upper

syn-

with, together, union

tachy-

fast

trans-

across/through

bi-

two

di-

twice/double

hemi-

half

quad-

four

tri-

three

uni-

one

-ac/-al/ -eal

pertaining to

-ar / -ary

pertaining to

-clast/-clasia/-clasis

to break

-derma

skin

-ema

state of; condition

-ectasis

dilatation of tubular vessel

-emesis/-emetic

vomiting

-gen/-genesis

forming, producing, origin

-ia

condition

-iac/-ic/-itic

pertaining to

-logy

study of

-lucent

to shine; clear

-lysis

separation, breakdown

-opaque

obscure

-pnea

breathing

-poiesis

to make or form

-version

turning

-algia

pain, condition of pain

-emia

blood condition

-iasis/-asis/-isis

disease process

-itis

inflammation

-lith

stone

-megaly

enlargement

-oma

tumour, mass

-osis

condition, abnormal condition

-paresis

partial paralysis/weakness

-pathy

disease condition

-plegia

paralysis

-rhage

bursting forth

-rhea / -orrhea

flow, discharge

-stasis

standing still

-uria

condition of urine

-centesis

surgical puncture to remove fluid

-ectomy

removal, excision, resection

-gram

record

-graphy

Process of recording

-opsy

view of

-ostomy

surgical opening