Medical Terminology Suffixes

-ac, ic, al, ous, tic, is, ar, ary, ior, eal

Pertaining to, connected to

-algia, -dynia

Pain

-ate, -ize

To use

-cele

Hernia, tumor, swelling

-centesis

Surgical puncture

-cytosis

Abnormal cell condition (too many )

-derma

Skin

-desis

Binding

-ectomy

Cutting out

-emesis

Vomit

-emi

Blood condition

-esis, ism, iasis, ity, osis, sis, tion, y

Condition of

-form

Shape

-genesis

To form

-globin

Protein

-gram

Weight, mark, record

-graph

To write, record

-graphy

Process of recording

-itis

Inflammation

-lysis

Breakdown, destruction

-malacia

Softening

-megaly

Enlargement

-meter

Instrument used to measure

-metry

Process of measuring

-ologist

Specialist

-ology

The study of

-oma

Tumor, mass, fluid collection

-opsy

To view

-otomy

cutting into

-ostomy, stomy , tomy

Surgical opening

Pathy

Disease, emotion

-penia

Lack of, deficiency

-pexy, pexis

Surgical fixation

-phagia

To swallow or to eat

-phobia

Fear of

-plasia

Formation

-plasty

Reconstruction or shaping

-plegia

Paralysis, stroke, palsy

-pnea

Breathing

-ptosis

Dropping, saggy, falling down

-rrhage

To burst forth, bursting

-rrhea

Discharge

-sclerosis

Hardening

-scope

Instrument used to examine

-scopy

Visual examination

-spams

Involuntary movement

-trophy

Growth or development