Medical Word Root & Abbreviations

Origins of Medical Word Root Words

Original Word

Meaning

Modern Medical

Combining Form

kardia (Greek)

Heart

cardi/o

derm (Greek)

skin

derm/o

enteron (Greek)

small intestines

enter/o

bucca (Latin)

cheek

bucc/o

lumbus (Latin)

loin (lower part of the back)

lumb/o

mykes

mushroom, fungus

Myc/o

vivere (Latin)

life

viv/o

Common Combining Forms (Body Parts)

  • adip/o; lip/o; steat/o — fat

  • arteri/o — artery

  • arthr/o — joint

  • axill/o — armpit

  • blephar/o — eyelid

  • cardi/o — heart

  • cephal/o — head

  • cerebr/o; encephal/o — cerebrum, brain

  • cervic/o — neck

  • cholecyst/o — gallbladder

  • col/o — large intestine

  • cost/o — rib

  • crani/o — skull

  • cyst/o — urinary bladder

  • cyt/o — cell

  • derm/o; dermat/o — skin

  • enter/o — small intestine

  • esophag/o — esophagus

  • gastr/o — stomach

  • hem/o; hemat/o — blood

  • hepat/o — liver

  • lapar/o — abdominal wall

  • laryng/o — voice box, larynx

  • myel/o — spinal cord

  • my/o; muscul/o — muscle

  • nas/o; rhin/o — nose

  • neur/o — nerve

  • ophthalm/o; ocul/o — eye

  • or/o; stomat/o — mouth

  • oste/o — bone

  • ot/o — ear

  • pancreat/o — pancreas

  • pharyng/o — throat

  • pneum/o; pneumon/o — lung

  • ren/o; nephr/o — kidneys

  • splen/o — spleen

  • thorac/o — chest

  • thyroid/o — thyroid gland

  • trache/o — windpipe, trachea

  • ven/o; phleb/o — vein

  • vertebr/o — vertebra

Color Word Roots

Word Root

Meaning

Example

cyan/o

blue

cyanosis (sigh ah NOH sis)

blueish discoloration of the skin

erythr/o

red

erythrocyte (eh RITH roh sight)

red blood cell

leuk/o

white

leukocyte (LOO koh sight)

melan/o

black

melanoma (mel uh NO muh)

tumor of melanin-forming cells (melanin is a dark brown or black pigment)

poli/o

gray

poliomyelitis (poh lee oh my eh LIE tis)

infection of the gray nerve tissue of the spinal cord

Common Suffixes

“Pertaining to” Suffixes

  • -ac, -al, -ar, -ary, -eal, -ia, -iac, -ic, -ical, -ose, -ous, -tic — pertaining to

Examples:

  • cardiac — pertaining to the heart

  • cellular — pertaining to the cell

  • psychotic — pertaining to psychosis

Other Common Suffixes

  • -algia — pain, painful condition

    • neuralgia — pain along a nerve

  • -centesis — surgical puncture to remove fluid

    • amniocentesis — insertion of needle to withdraw amniotic fluid

  • -cide — to kill, destroy

    • germicide — substance that kills germs

  • -cyte — cell

    • leukocyte — white blood cell

  • -ectomy — surgical removal of

    • gastrectomy — removal of part or all of the stomach

  • -emia — blood; blood condition

    • bacteremia — bacteria in the blood

  • -gram — record

    • electrocardiogram — record of the electrical activity of the heart

  • -graph — instrument used to record

    • electrocardiograph — instrument that records electrical variations in cardiac muscle activity

  • -graphy — process of recording

    • electrocardiography — the making and study of electrocardiograms

  • -ia — condition (especially abnormal)

    • tachycardia — condition of abnormally rapid heart rate

  • -ion — condition

    • hypertension — high blood pressure

  • -ism — condition

    • hypothyroidism — condition caused by low thyroid hormone level

  • -itis — inflammation of

    • carditis — inflammation of the heart

  • lithiasis — presence or formation of stones

    • cholelithiasis — presence of stones in the gallbladder

  • -logy — study of

    • cardiology — study of the heart

  • -megaly — enlargement

    • hepatomegaly — enlargement of the liver

  • -oid — resembling

    • rheumatoid — resembling rheumatism

  • -oma — tumor

    • myoma — tumor containing muscle tissue

  • -osis — abnormal condition or disease

    • nephrosis — kidney disease

  • -otomy — surgical incision

    • tracheotomy — incision into the trachea

  • -pathy — disease

    • encephalopathy — disease of the brain

  • -plasty — surgical or plastic repair

    • rhinoplasty — plastic surgery of the nose

  • -plegia — paralysis

    • hemiplegia — paralysis of one side (half) of the body

  • -pnea — breathing, respiration

    • apnea — temporary cessation of breathing

  • -rrhaphy — surgical suturing

    • gastrorrhaphy — suturing of the stomach

  • -rrhea — drainage, flow, discharge

    • rhinorrhea — drainage from the nose

  • -rrhexis — rupture

    • cardiorrhexis — rupture of the heart wall

  • -scope — instrument used to view

    • otoscope — instrument used to examine the ear

  • -scopy — examination using a scope

    • sigmoidoscopy — examination of the sigmoid colon

  • -sis — action, process, state, condition

    • mycosis — disease caused by a fungus

  • -stasis — stoppage, controlling

    • venostasis — stoppage of blood in a vein

  • -stomy — surgically create an opening

    • colostomy — surgical opening into the colon to create a stoma