Medical Prefixes
a- → absence of
ab- → away from
abdomin/o → abdomen
acanth/o →spine; thorny
acar/o → mites
acetabul/o → acetabulum (hip socket)
acr/o →extremities; top; extreme point
acous/o →hearing
acoust/o → hearing, sound
acromi/o →acromion (extension of shoulder bone) actin/o light
acu/o →sharp; severe; sudden
ad- → toward
aden/o → referring to glands
adenoid/o → adenoids
adip/o →fat
aer- → air
af → toward
agglutin/o →clumping; sticking together
alb/o →white
albin/o→ white
albumin/o →albumin (protein)
algesia/o → sensitivity to pain
all/o → other
alveol/o → alveolus; air sac; small sac
ambi- → both
amby/o →dim; dull
amphi- →around; on both sounds
ammon/o →ammonium
amni/o → amnion (sac surrounding the embryo) amyl/o starch
an- → without or absence of
an/o → anus
ana- → up; again; backward
andr/o →male
angle- →tube, blood vessel
angi/o →vessel (blood)
ankyl/o →stiff
ansi/o- →unequal
ante- →before
anter/o →front
anthr/o →antrum of the stomach (lower part)
anti- →against
anxi/o →uneasy; anxious
apo- →upon
append- →appendix; to hang something
appendic/o →appendix
aphth/o → ulcer
aort/o →aorta (largest artery)
apo- →off; away
aque/o → water
arachn/o →spider
arterio- →having to do with the arteries arteriol/o arteriole (small artery) artho- →joint
asbest/o →absestos
aspir/o →removal
athero- →plaque (fatty substance) athlero- hardening
atel/o →incomplete
atmo →steam; vapor
atreto →closed; lacking an opening atri/o atrium (upper heart chamber) audi/o- →referring to sound audit/o hearing
aur/o →ear
auricul/o →ear
aut →self; own
auto →self; own
aux/o →growth; acceleration auxill/o armpit
axi/o →axis
azot/o →urea; nitrogen
bacill/o →bacilli (bacteria)
bacteri/o →bacteria
balan/o → glans penis
bary →weight, pressure
bas/o →base; opposite of acid batho deep; depth
bathy →deep; depth
bi- → two
bilat- →both
bin- →two
bi/o →life
bios- →life
bil/i →bile; gall
blasto- →germ or embryotic blenn/o mucus
bleph/o- →eyelid
blephar/o →eyelid
bol/o →cast; throw
brady- →slow
brachi/o →arm
bronch/o →bronchial tube
bronchiol/o →bronchiole
bucc/o → cheek
burs/o →bursa (sac of fluid near joints) cac/o bad
calc- →referring to stones calc/o calcium
calcane/o →calcaneus (heel bone) calcu/o to compute
calor/i →heat
cambt/o →bent
capillar/o →capillary (tiniest blood vessel) capn/o carbon dioxide
caps/o →capsule; container
capsul/o →capsule; container
carcin/o→ cancerous; cancer
cardio- →heart
carcino- →cancerous
cari/o →carries, rotteness
carp/o →wrist bones (carpals)
cata →down
cathar/o →cleansing, purging
cathart/o →cleansing, purging
caud/o →tail; lower part of body
caus/o →burn; burning
cauter/o →heat; burn
cav/o →hollow; cavity
cavit/o →hollow; cavity
cec/o →cecum (first part of colon) celi/o belly; abdomen
cent/i- →hundred
centr/o →center
cephalo- →head
cerebell/o →cerebrum (posterior aspect of brain) cerebro- brain
cervic/o →neck; cervix (neck of uterus) cheil/o lip
chem/o →drug; chemical
chir/o →hand
chlor/o →green
cholangi/o →bile
chole- → bile
cholecyst/o →gallbladder
choledoch/o →common bile duct
chondro- →pertaining to the cartilage chore/o dance
chori/o →chorion (outermost membrane of fetus) chrom/o color
chrys/o →gold
cib/o →meal
cine/o →movement
circum- →around
cis/o →to cut
cirrh/o →orange-yellow
claustr/o →enclosed space
clavicul/o →clavicle (collar bone)
cleido/o →clavicle (collar bone)
clin/o →to slope; bend
coagul/o→ clotting
coccyg/o →coccyx (tail bone)
cochle/o →cochlea (inner part of ear)
col/o →colon (large intestine)
colon/o →colon (large intestine)
colp/o- →pertaining to the vagina
comat/o→ deep sleep
comi/o→ to care for
con- →with
conjunctiv/o →conjuctiva (lines of eyelids) consci/o awareness, aware
constric/o →narrowing, binding
contra- →against; opposite
contus/o →to bruise
cor/o →pupil
core/o →pupil
corne/o →cornea
coron/o →chrown or circle (e.g. coronary arteries) corpor/o body
cortic/o →cortex; outer region
cost/o- →pertaining to the ribs
cox/o →hip
crani/o →brain
cras/o →mixture; temperament
crin/o →secrete
cry/o→ cold
crypto- →hidden
cubit/o →elbow; forearm
cutane/o →skin
cyan- →blue
cycl/o →ciliary body of eye; circle
cyst/o →sac
cyt/o →cell
dacry/o →tear
dacryoaden/o →tear gland
dacryocyst →tear sac; lacriman sac
dactyl/o →fingers; toes
de- →lack of; less; removal of
dec/i- →ten
dec/a- →ten
demi →half
dem/o →people
dent/i →tooth
dermatic- →skin
derm/o →skin
desicc/o →drying
dextr/o →right
dia- →thorough, complete
diaphor/o →sweat
dilat/o to enlarge; →expand
diplo- →double
dips/o→ thirst
dis- →apart; separate; to undo; free from dist/o far; distant
dolich/o→ long
dolor/o →pain
dors/o →back (of body or body part) dorsi back
duct/o →to lead; carry
duoden/o→ duodenum
dur/o →dura mater
dys- →difficult or painful
dynam/o →power; strength
ec →out; outside
echin/o→ spiny, prickly
ecto- →outside, outer
electr/o →electricity
ele/o →oil
em →in
embol/o →embolus (air bubble, or clot) embry/o embryo (stage of developing fetus) emmetry/o in due measure
en in; within
enati/o →opposite; opposed
encephal/o →pertaining to the brain
endo- →within, inner
entero- →small intenstine
eosin/o →red; rosy; dawn-colored
epi →upon; above
eso- →inward
erg/o →work
erethism/o →irritation
erythem/o →flushed; redness
erythr/o vred
eschar/o→ scab
eso →inward
esophag/o →esophagus
estr/o →female
ethm/o →sieve
eti/o →cause
eu- →normal
ex- →outside, outward, away from exo- outside, outward, away from extra- →outside
faci/o →face
faci/o →fascia (membrane supporting muscles) febr/i fever
femor/o →femur (thigh bone)
ferr/i →iron
ferr/o →iron
fet/o →fetus
fibr/o→ fiber
fibros/o →fibrous connective tissue fibul/o fibrula
fil/i →thread, threadlike
fil/o →thread, threadlike
filament/o →thread, threadlike
flav/o →yellow
flex/o →to bend
fluor/o →luminous
follicul/o →follicle; small sac
fore →before, in front
fovea/o →small pit or depression
frig/o→ cold
frigid/o →cold
funct/o →performance
fung/i →fungus; mushroom
furc/o → forking; braching
fusc/o →dark brown
galact/o → milk
ganglion/o→ ganglion; collection of nerve cell bodies
gastro- →stomach
gel/o →to freeze; congeal
gemell/o →twins
geni/o →chin
genit/o →reproduction
ge/o →earth; soil
ger/o →old age
geront/o→ old age
gest/o→ pregnancy
gester/o →pregnancy
gigant/o→ huge
gingiv/o →gum
glauc/o→ gray
gli/o →glial cells; neuroglial cells
glomerul/o → glomerulus (cluster of nerve endings, spores or small blood vessels) e.g. end of a kidney tubule
glosso- →pertaining to the tongue
gluc/o →glucose; sugar
glyc/o →glucose; sugar
glycogen/o →glycogen; sugar
glycos/o →glucose; sugar
gnath/o →jaw
gnos/o→knowledge
gon/o →seed
gonad/o →sex glands
goni/o →angle
granul/o →granule(s
gravid/o →pregnancy
gynec/o →woman; female
gyr/o →circle; spiral
hallucin/o →hallucination (of any of the senses so be specific) halp/o simple; single
helc/o→ ulcer
heli/o →sun
hemi- →half
hem/o →blood
hemato-→ pertaining to blood
hepato-→ liver
herni/o →hernia (when an organ or fatty tissue squeezes through a weak spot in a surrounding muscle or fascia
hetaro-→ different
hidr/o→ sweat
hist/o →tissue
histi/o →tissue
home/o →same; unchanging; constant
homo-→ the same
hormon/o →hormone
hymen/o→ hymen
humer/o →humerus (upper arm)
hydro- →pertaining to water
hygr/o →moisture
hyper- →above; excessive
hypn/o →sleep
hypo- →deficient; below; under; less than normal
hypophys/o →pituitary gland
hypothalam/o →hypothalamus
hypsi →high
hyster/o →uterus; womb
iatr/o →physician; treatment (from the Greek word "iatros") ichthy/o dry; scaly
ile/o →ileum
im- →not
immun/o →immune; protection; safe
in- →in; into; not
inter- →between
infra- →below; under; inferior to; beneath
intra-→ within or inside
iso- →equal or the same
kinesi- →pertaining to movement
lapar/o- →abdominal wall
leuko- →white
levo- →on the left side (from the Latin "laevus")
lingu/o →pertaining to the tongue
lip- →fat
litho- →stone
lymph/o→ lymph
lys/o- →breaking down or destruction
macro-→ large
mega- →great or big (abnormally large)(from the Greek "megas" mal- bad or disordered
mamm →breast
mast/o →breast
melano- →black
meningo-→ meninges
meso- →middle
meta- →beyond, after, occurring later in a series
micro- →small
milli- →thousand
mono- →one (single)
muscul/o →muscle
mut- →change
my/o →muscle
myel/o →spinal cord, bone marrow
narc/o- →sleep
necr/o- →dead
neo- →new, young, fresh (from the Greek "neos" nephro- kidney
neuro-→ nerve
noct/i- →night
nulli- →none
octa→ eight
octi →eight
oct/o- →eight
olig/o- →few, little
oo- →egg
oophor-→ pertaining to the ovary
onco- →tumor or mass
orchi- →testicle
ortho- →pertaining to the teeth
osse/o →bony
osteo-→ bone
oto-→ ear
para- →beside, around, near
paro- →bear
peri- →surrounding
phag/ia→ pertaining to eating
phas/o-→ pertaining to speech
phlebo- →vein
phon/o-→ pertaining to sound
photalgia → pain glare of light (e.g. photalgiaphobia - morbid fear/over
phot/o → pertaining to (bright) light
phren/i →photalgiadiaphragm
pleur/a →rib, pleura
poly- →many, multiple
pneumo- →air, lung
pod/o →foot
pre- →before
poly- →much, many
post- →after
prim/i- →first
procto- →pertaining to the anus and rectum
prostat →prostate
pseudo- →false
psych/o- →pertaining to the mind, mental processes, and human behavior pulmo- lung
pyel/o →renal
pyo-→ pus
pyr/o- →fever or heat
quadra-→ four
quasi-→ seemingly
quint- →five
re- →back
ren/o →kidney
retin →retina (eye)
retro- →back or behind
rhino- →nose
salpingo- →pertaining to the fallopian tubes
sarc/o- →malignant connective tissue
schiz/o →split, cleft
sclero- →hardness
semi- →half
sept- →seven
sex- →six
sigmoid/o →sigmoid colon
somn- →sleep
sperm/a/o →pertaining to sperm
spermat/o →pertaining to sperm
spondyl/o →pertaining to the spine
stern →sternum
stom/a →mouth
stomat/o →mouth
sub- →below or under
super- →over or above
supra-→ above
syn-→ together or joined
tachy- →rapid
tal/o →talus
tars/o →tarsus; hindfoot or ankle
taut/o →identical, same
techn/o →skill, art
tel/o →complete
tele/o →distant
temp/o →period of time
tempor/o → pertaining to transient or temporary time, pertaining to the temporal area of the head
tendin/o → tendon
tephr/o →gray (ashen)
testi- →referring to the testicle
tetra- →four
thanat/o →death
therm/o-→ pertaining to temperature
thorac- →pertaining to the thorax
thrombo- →blood clot
thryr/o →thyroid gland
toc- →childbirth (from the Greek word "tokos")
toneo/o →to stretch
tonsill/o →pertaining to tonsils
top/o →place; position; location
tors/o →twisted
tox/o →poison
toxic/o →poison
trache/o →trachea (windpipe)
trans- →through, across, over
traumat/o →trauma, injury, wound
trem/o →shaking, trembling
tremul/o →shaking, trembling
tri/o →three
trich/o-→ hair
troph/o →nourishment; development
tub/o →tube, blood vessel
tympan/o →tympanic membrane (ear drum); middle ear
typh/o →cecum, blindness
ultra- →beyond or in excess
uni- →one
utero- →womb
uro- →urine, urinary
vagin-→ pertaining to the vagina
varic/o →duct, blood vessel
vascul/o →blood vessel
ven/o →vein
vertebr- →pertaining to the vertebrae/spine
vesic/o →pertaining to the bladder
xer/o →dry