Chapter 1: Medical Terminology

lip, lip/o

fat

\-emia

blood condition

protein

protein

angi/o, vas/o, vascul/o

vessel

cardi/o

heart

esophagus/o

esophagus

gastr/o

stomach

hem/o, hemat/o

blood

hepat/o

liver

oste/o

bone

ur/o, urin/o

urine

\-megaly

enlargement

\-stomy

creation of an opening

\-tomy

incision

peri-, circum-

around

\-logy

study of

\-rrhaphy

suture

\-rrhexis

rupture

epi-

upon

sub-, infra-

below or under

a- , an-

without

anti-, contra-

against or opposed to

de-

front, down, or not

ab-

away from

ad-

to, toward, or near

dia-, trans-

across or through

e-, ec-, ex-

out or away

ecto-, exo-, extra-

outside

en-, endo-, intra-

within

inter-

between

meso-

middle

meta-

beyond, after, or change

para-

alongside of or abnormal

retro-

backward or behind

bi-

two or both

hemi-,semi-

half

hyper-, super- , supra-

above or excessive

hypo-

below or deficient

macro-

large or long

micro-

small

mono-

one

multi-

many

oligo-

few or deficient

pan-

all

poly-

many

quadri-

four

tri-

three

uni-

one

ultra-

beyond or excessive

ante-, pre- pro-

before

brady-

slow

tachy-

fast

post-

after or behind

re-

again or back

con-, syn- sym-

together or with

dys-

painful, difficult, or faulty

eu-

good or normal

neo-

new

\-algia, -dynia

pain

\-genesis

origin or production

\-lysis

breaking down or dissolution

\-oid

resembling

\-penia

abnormal reduction

\-rrhea

discharge

\-spasm

involuntary contraction

\-cele

pouching or hernia

\-ectasis

expansion or dilation

\-iasis

formation or presence of

\-itis

inflammation

\-malacia

softening

\-oma

tumor

\-osis

condition or increase

\-phil, -philia

attraction for

\-ptosis

falling or downward displacement

\-rrhage

excessive discharge (usually blood)

\-centesis

puncture for aspiration

\-decis

binding

\-ectomy

excision (removal)

\-pexy

suspension or fixation

\-plasty

surgical repair or reconstruction

\-ation

process

\-e

general indicator that a word is a person, place, or thing

\-ia, -ism, -y

condition of

\-ium

structure or tissue

\-ac, -al, -ar, -ary, -eal, -ic, -ous, -tic

pertaining to

\-icle, -ole, -ula, -ule

small

\-gram

record

\-graph

instrument for recording

\-graphy

process of recording

\-iatric, -iatry

pertaining to medicine, a physician, or healer

\-logist, -ist

one who specializes in the study or treatment of

\-meter

instrument for reasoning

\-metry

process of measuring

\-poiesis

formation

\-scope

instrument for examination

\-stasis

stop or stand

cyan/o

blue

erythr/o

red

leuk/o

white

melan/o

black