Medical Suffixes

-a

noun ending, no meaning

-ac

pertaining to

-ad

toward

-al

pertaining to

-algia

condition of pain

-amnios

amnion, amniotic fluid

-apheresis

separate

-ar

pertaining to

-ary

pertaining to

-asthenia

weakness

-carcinoma

cancerous tumor

-cele

hernia, protrusion, swelling

-centesis

surgical procedure to aspirate fluid

-crine

to secrete

-cyesis

pregnancy

-cyte

cell

-desis

surgical fixation, fusion

-drome

run, running

-e

noun ending, no meaning

-eal

pertaining to

-ectasis

stretching out, dilation, expansion

-ectomy

excision, surgical removal, cut out

-emia

in the blood

-esis

condition

-gen

substance or agent that causes or produces

-genic

producing, originating, causing

-gram

recording, image

-graph

instrument used to record, the record

-ia

condition of, diseased state, abnormal state

-iasis

condition

-iatrist

specialist

-iatry

specialist, treatment

-ic

pertaining to

-ictal

seizure, attack

-ior

pertaining to

-ism

state of

-itis

inflammation

-logist

specialist who studies and treats

-logy

study of

-lysis

separate, loosen, dissolution

-malacia

softening

-meter

instrument used to measure

-metry

process of measuring

-oid

resembling

-oma

tumor, swelling

-opia

vision

-opsy

viewing, process of viewing

-osis

abnormal condition, increased amount

-ous

pertaining to

-paresis

slight paralysis

-pathy

disease

-penia

reduced number

-pepsia

digestion

-pexy

surgical fixation, suspension

-phagia

swallowing, eating

-phobia

aversion, fear of

-physis

growth

-plasia

formation, development, growth

-plasty

surgical repair

-plegia

paralysis

-pnea

breathing

-poiesis

formation

-ptosis

prolapse, drooping

-rrhage

excessive bleeding

-rrhagia

excessive bleeding

-rrhaphy

repairing, suturing

-rrhea

discharge, flow

-rrhexis

rupture

-salpinx

fallopian tube, uterine tube

-schisis

split, fissure

-schlerosis

condition of hardening

-scope

instrument used for visual examination

-scopic

pertaining to visual examination

-scopy

process of visually examining

-spasm

sudden involuntary contraction

-stasis

condition of stopping, controlling, standing

-stenosis

constriction, condition of narrowing

-stomy

creating an artificial opening

-thorax

chest cavity

-tocia

condition of labour, birth

-tome

instrument used to cut

-tomy

incision, cut

-tripsy

surgical crushing

-trophy

nourishment, development

-um

structure

-uria

urine, urination

-us

no meaning