Med Term (copy)

DM

Diabetes mellitus, a disease in which the body has difficulty managing and regulating levels of sugar in the bloodstream.

FAS

Fetal alcohol syndrome, a group of mental or physical defects that can develop in an unborn baby from the mother's alcohol consumption during pregnancy.

FBOA

Foreign-body obstructed airway, an airway that has been obstructed by a foreign object.

FUO

Fever of unknown origin, a diagnosis noted when a patient has a temperature of 101ºF or more several times over three weeks without a known cause.

Fx

Fracture, a specific way that a bone has been broken.

Affix

A categorical term for a word part that is added to a root word to change or modify its meaning; includes both prefixes and suffixes.

Combining Form

A root word with an added vowel at the end to aid pronunciation when combined with a suffix.

Prefix

A word part added to the beginning of a word, often indicating location, time, or present status.

Root Words

Word parts that carry the essential meaning of a word and cannot be broken down into smaller parts.

Suffix

A word part added to the end of a root word to form a new term.

Eponyms

Words derived from someone's proper name, typically the discoverer or inventor of the concept.

Jargon

The specialized technical language used in a profession.

Abbreviations

Single words that have been shortened.

Acronyms

Words composed of the first letters of other words.

Modular

A system in which individual parts can stand alone or be combined into a larger whole.

Angi(o)

Means blood vessel; combining form used in terms such as angiography.

Arteri(o)

Means artery; combining form used in terms such as arteriosclerosis.

Arthr(o)

Means joint; combining form used in terms such as arthritis.

Audi

Means sound or to hear; combining form used in terms such as audiologist.

Bio

Means life; related terms include biologist.

Bronch(i)(o)

Means the air passages of the lungs; used in terms like bronchitis.

Carcin(o)

Means abnormal growth or tumor; used in terms such as carcinoma.

Cardi(o)

Means heart; used in terms such as cardiomyopathy.

Crine

Means secrete or release; used in terms such as endocrinology.

Cyt(o)

Means cell; used in terms such as cytology.

Derm(a)(t)(o)

Means skin; used in terms such as dermatologists.

Electr

Means electricity; used in terms such as electrocardiography.

Encephal(o)

Means brain; used in terms such as encephalitis.

Gastr(o)

Means stomach; used in terms such as gastric bypass.

Glyc(o)

Means sugar or glucose; used in terms such as hypoglycemia.

Hemat(o)

Means blood; used in terms such as hematology.

Hepat(o)

Means liver; used in terms such as hepatitis.

Hist(o)

Means tissue; used in terms such as histology.

Lymph(o)

Means lymph fluid; used in terms such as lymphoma.

My(o)

Means muscle; used in terms such as myopathy.

Neur(o)

Means nervous system; used in terms such as neurology.

Onc(o)

Means tumor; used in terms such as oncology.

Ophthalm(o)

Means eye; used in terms such as ophthalmologist.

Oste(o)

Means bone; used in terms such as osteoporosis.

Path(o)

Means disease; used in terms such as pathology.

Pharmac(o)

Means drug or medication; used in terms such as pharmacology.

Phleb(o)

Means veins; used in terms such as phlebotomy.

Physi(o)

Means nature, origin, or function; used in terms such as physiology.

Pulmon(o)

Means lungs; used in terms such as pulmonary.

Thoraci(c)

Means chest; used in terms such as thoracic.

A- or An-

Means no, or without; used in terms such as asepsis.

Ab-

Means away from; used in terms such as abduction.

Ad-

Means toward; used in terms such as adduction.

Aut(o)-

Means self; used in terms such as autograft.

Brady-

Means slow; used in terms such as bradycardia.

Chem(o)-

Means chemistry or drug; used in terms such as chemotherapy.

Dia-

Means complete or through; used in terms such as diagnosis.

Dis-

Means to separate or take apart; can also indicate lack or reversal.

Dys-

Means abnormal or painful; used in terms such as dysentery.

Endo-

Means inside or within; used in terms such as endoscopy.

Epi-/Exo-

Means outside; used in terms such as epicardium and exoskeleton.

Eu-

Means good or normal; used in terms such as euglycemia.

Hyper-

Means above or above normal; used in terms such as hypertension.

Hypo-

Means under or below normal; used in terms such as hypoglycemia.

Inter-

Means between or among; used in terms such as intercellular.

Lyso-

Means dissolve or dissolution; used in terms such as lysosomes.

Macro-

Means large; used in terms such as macrophages.

Mal-

Means bad or ill; used in terms such as malignant.

Micro-

Means small; used in terms such as microscope.

Mono-

Means single or one; used in terms such as monolayer.

Neo-

Means new; used in various scientific contexts.

-ac, -al

Means of or pertaining to; used in terms such as cardiac and abdominal.

-algia

Means pain; used in terms such as myalgia.

-cidal, -cide

Means killing; used in terms such as fungicide.

-crine

Means to secrete; used in terms such as endocrine.

-cyte

Means cell; used in terms such as leukocyte.

-ectomy

Means removal of; used in terms such as mastectomy.

-emia

Means blood condition; used in terms such as anemia.

-globin

Means containing protein; used in terms such as hemoglobin.

-gnosis

Means knowledge; used in terms such as diagnosis.

-gram

Means record or picture; used in terms such as cardiogram.

-graph

Means an instrument used to record data; used in terms such as electrocardiograph.

-ia and -iasis

Means condition; used in terms such as bradycardia and psoriasis.

-iatry

Means a field in medicine; used in terms such as psychiatry.

-ic

Means pertaining to; used in terms such as narcotic.

-ism

Means condition or process; used in terms such as embolism.

-itis

Means inflammation or infection; used in terms such as tonsillitis.

-lepsis/-lepsy

Means attack or seizure; used in terms such as epilepsy.

-logist

Means specialist in the field; used in terms such as oncologist.

-logy

Means study or practice of a certain field; used in terms such as oncology.

-lysis

Means destruction or separation; used in terms such as paralysis.

-meter

Means an instrument used to measure; used in terms such as thermometer.

-oma

Means tumor, collection, or mass; used in terms such as hematoma.

-opsy

Means to view; used in terms such as biopsy.

-osis

Means condition or disease; used in terms such as neurosis.

-pathy

Means disease or disorder; used in terms such as neuropathy.

-phobia

Means fear of; used in terms such as agoraphobia.

-plasty

Means surgical repair; used in terms such as rhinoplasty.

-rrhea

Means discharge or flow; used in terms such as rhinorrhea.

-rrhage

Means bursting; used in terms such as hemorrhage.

-scope

Means an instrument used for viewing; used in terms such as stethoscope.

-scopy

Means the use of an instrument for viewing; used in terms such as endoscopy.

-sis

Means a state of or condition; used in terms such as pneumoconiosis.

-(s)tomy

Means the creation of an opening; used in terms such as colostomy.

-trophy

Means nourishment or development; used in terms such as hypertrophy.