Medical Terminology: Prefixes, Suffixes, Combining Forms, and Word Roots

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering common prefixes, suffixes, combining forms, and word roots in medical terminology.

a-, an-

Without (e.g., arrhythmia is without a rhythm; anuria is a condition without urine).

ante-, pre-, pro-

Before (e.g., antenatal or prenatal vitamins are taken before the baby is born; prophylactic medications are used before a disease might occur).

anti-, contra-

Against (e.g., anticoagulants work against the blood's clotting ability; medications are contraindicated when they are against being used together).

bi-, diplo-

Two (e.g., bilateral means pertaining to two sides; diplococci are bacteria appearing in pairs or twos).

brady-

Slow (e.g., bradycardia is a condition of a slow heart rate).

circum-

Around (e.g., circumference is the measurement around an object).

de-

Away from (e.g., dehydration is the process of taking water away from the body).

dia-, trans-

Through (e.g., diathermy is a treatment modality of passing heat through the skin to underlying tissues; transcutaneous medications are absorbed through the skin).

dys-

Abnormal, painful, difficult (e.g., dysuria is a condition of painful urination).

ecto-

Outside (e.g., ectopic pregnancies occur when the ovum becomes fertilized outside of the uterus).

endo-

Within (e.g., endoscopies are procedures in which an instrument is placed within the body for viewing structures).

epi-

Upon, over (e.g., the epidermis is the outermost layer of skin over the dermis).

eu-

Normal, good (e.g., euthyroid indicates that thyroid function is normal).

ex-, exo-, extra-

Out of, away from, outside (e.g., exophthalmos is eyeballs appearing out of sockets; exoskeleton is a skeleton on the outside of the body; extracurricular refers to activities outside the classroom).

hemi-, semi-

Half (e.g., hemiplegia is paralysis occurring on one side of the body; semiconscious is being half conscious and half unconscious).

hyper-, poly-

Above normal, excessive (e.g., hyperthermia is body temperature above normal; polyuria is a condition of excessive urination).

hypo-, sub-

Below normal, below, underneath, inferior (e.g., hypodermic injections are administered below the dermis; substernal chest pain is underneath the breastbone).

inter-

Between (e.g., intercostal spaces are located between the ribs).

intra-

Within (e.g., intracellular fluid is the fluid found within the cells).

iso-

Same (e.g., isotonic saline has the same pH as blood).

mal-

Bad, not adequate (e.g., malabsorption occurs when the body has bad or inadequate absorption through the gastrointestinal tract).

megalo-, mega-, macro-

Large, big (e.g., megalocytes are large cells).

micro-

Small, tiny (e.g., a microscope is an instrument used for viewing tiny things).

mono-

One (e.g., a monocyte is a cell that contains only one nucleus).

multi-, pluri-

Many (e.g., multipara indicates that a woman has had more than one pregnancy).

oligo-

Few, scanty, sparse (e.g., oliguria is a condition in which scanty urine is produced).

pan-

All (e.g., pancytopenia is an abnormal decrease in the number of all cells).

peri-

Around (e.g., perianal pertains to the area around the anus).

post-

After, following (e.g., postmortem is after death).

quadra-, quadri-

Four (e.g., quadrants are imaginary divisions of four sections; quadriplegia is the paralysis of all four extremities).

re-

Again, backward (e.g., reproduce is to produce again).

super-, supra-

Above, superior, more (e.g., Superman has powers above normal mortal man; suprapubic is immediately above the pubis).

tachy-

Fast, abnormally fast (e.g., tachycardia is a condition of an abnormally fast heartbeat).

ultra-

Beyond (e.g., an ultrasound goes beyond the speed of sound).

uni-

One, single (e.g., unilateral pertains to one side only).

-ac, -al, -ar, -ary, -eal, -ia, -ic, -ory, -ous, -tic

Pertaining to, condition (of) (e.g., ventricular pertains to the ventricles).

-ad

Toward (e.g., caudad is toward the tail).

-algia, -dynia

Pain (e.g., arthralgia is pain in the joint(s); cephalodynia is pain in the head or a headache).

-ase

Enzyme (e.g., amylase is an enzyme that breaks down starches).

-asthenia

Weakness (e.g., myasthenia gravis is great muscle weakness).

-blast

Baby, immature (e.g., erythroblasts are immature red blood cells most often found in the bone marrow).

-cele

Hernia, abnormal protrusion (e.g., a rectocele is an abnormal protrusion from the rectum).

-cide, -cidal

Killing, destroying (e.g., bacteriocidal solutions kill bacteria).

-crine

To secrete (e.g., the endocrine system secretes hormones).

-cyte

Cell (e.g., a leukocyte is a white blood cell).

-derma

Skin (e.g., scleroderma is 'hard' skin).

-ectasia, -ectasis

Stretching, dilating (e.g., bronchiectasis is a lung condition in which the bronchioles are stretched out permanently).

-ectomy

Surgical removal (e.g., a hysterectomy is the removal of the uterus).

-edema

Swelling, fluid accumulation (e.g., lymphedema is fluid accumulation and swelling when lymph nodes cannot circulate lymph back through the vascular system).

-ema, -iasis, -ism

Condition, abnormal condition (e.g., erythema is a condition with redness; hyperthyroidism is a condition of above-normal thyroid function; candidiasis is a yeast infection condition).

-emesis

Vomiting (e.g., hyperemesis is excessive vomiting).

-emia

Blood (e.g., anemia is a condition of low or no blood).

-esthesia

Sensation, feeling (e.g., anesthesia produces a lack of feeling or sensation).

-gen, -genesis, -genic

Producing, production, production of, formation (e.g., a carcinogen produces cancer; carcinogenesis is cancer formation; carcinogenic is capable of producing cancer).

-globin, -globulin

Protein (e.g., hemoglobin transports oxygen; an immunoglobulin helps protect against infections).

-gram

Recording (e.g., an electrocardiogram is a recording of the heart).

-graph

Instrument used to record (e.g., an electrocardiograph is the instrument used to make an electrocardiogram).

-graphy

Process of recording (e.g., electrocardiography is the process of recording the heart's beat).

-itis

Inflammation (e.g., gastritis is inflammation of the stomach).

-kinesia, -kinesis

Movement (e.g., dyskinesia is painful movement of the body).

-logist

One who studies (e.g., a cardiologist is one who studies the heart).

-logy

The study of (e.g., cardiology is the study of the heart).

-lysis

Destruction (e.g., hemolysis occurs when red blood cells are destroyed).

-malacia

Softening (e.g., nephromalacia occurs when the kidney softens).

-mania, -manic

Abnormal preoccupation or obsession (e.g., pyromania is an abnormal obsession with fire; a pyromaniac is a person with this preoccupation).

-megaly

Enlargement (e.g., acromegaly is enlargement of the extremities).

-meter, -metry

Measuring device, process of measuring (e.g., a spirometer measures air volume inhaled and exhaled; pelvimetry is the process of measuring a pregnant woman's pelvis).

-oid

Resembling (e.g., osteoid is resembling bone).

-oma

Tumor (e.g., a lipoma is a fatty tumor).

-opia

Vision (e.g., diplopia is double vision).

-ose

Sugar (e.g., lactose is the sugar found in milk).

-ostomy

Formation of a new opening (e.g., a gastrostomy is a new opening in the stomach to provide nutrients to patients unable to swallow).

cardi/o (cardi)

Combining form and word root meaning heart.

cyan/o (cyan)

Combining form and word root meaning blue.

muscul/o, my/o, myos/o (muscul, my, myos)

Combining forms and word roots meaning muscle.

neur/o, neur/i (neur)

Combining forms and word root meaning nerve.

ren/o, nephr/o (ren, nephr)

Combining forms and word roots meaning kidney.

gastr/o (gastr)

Combining form and word root meaning stomach.

ur/o (ur)

Combining form and word root meaning urine.

oss/e, oste/o (oss, oste)

Combining forms and word roots meaning bone.

leuk/o (leuk)

Combining form and word root meaning white.

colon/o (colon)

Combining form and word root meaning colon.

colp/o (colp)

Combining form and word root meaning vagina.

-pathy

Disease (e.g., neuropathy is a disease of the nerves; osteopathy is a bone disease).

-rrhea

Flow, discharge (e.g., rhinorrhea is drainage or flow from the nose).

-stasis

Stopping (e.g., hemostasis is stopping the flow of blood).

-para, -parous

Bearing, producing, live birth (e.g., multipara is a woman who has given birth more than once).

-penia

Deficiency, lack of (e.g., leukopenia is a deficiency of white blood cells).

-pepsia

Digestion (e.g., dyspepsia is painful or difficult digestion).

-pexy

Surgical fixation (e.g., nephropexy is surgical fixation of the kidney).

-phagia

Eating, swallowing (e.g., dysphagia is difficult or painful eating or swallowing).

-phasia

Speech (e.g., aphasia is absence of or difficulty with speech).

-phobia

Fear (e.g., claustrophobia is fear of closed spaces).

-plasia

Growth, formation (e.g., dysplasia is abnormal formation or growth of cells).

-plasty

Surgical repair (e.g., rhinoplasty is surgical repair of the nose).

-plegia

Paralysis (e.g., quadriplegia is paralysis of all four extremities; hemiplegia is paralysis of one side of the body).

-pnea

Breathing (e.g., apnea is absence of breathing; dyspnea is difficult breathing).

-poiesis

Formation, production (e.g., hematopoiesis is the formation of blood cells).

-ptosis

Drooping, falling, prolapse (e.g., blepharoptosis is drooping of the upper eyelid).

-ptysis

Spitting, coughing (e.g., hemoptysis is spitting or coughing up blood).