Suffixes

Suffixes Overview

Suffixes and Meanings (1

41)

1. Algia — pain

2. Asthenia — weakness

3. Ectasis — dilation, stretching

4. Blast — germ

5. Cele — tumor, hernia

6. cid — cut, kill

7. Cylsis — injection

8. Coccus — round bacterium

9. Cyte — cell

10. Ectomy — excision (removal)

11. Emia — blood condition

12. Esthesia — related to sensation

13. Ferent — bear, carry

14. Genic — producing

15. Iatrics (iatrics) — pertaining to a physician or the practice of healing

16. Itis — inflammation

17. Logy — science of

18. lysis — losing, flowing, dissolution.

19. malacia — softening

20. Oma — tumor

21. Osis — being affected with

22. Ostomy — creation of an opening

23. Otomy — cutting into (incision)

24. Pathy — disease

25. Penia — decrease or deficiency of

26. Pexy — to fix (surgical fixation)

27. Phagia — eating

28. Phasia — speech

29. Phobia — fear

30. Plasty — molding

31. Pnea — air, breathing

32. Poiesis — making, forming

33. Ptosis — falling

34. Rhythmia — rhythm

35. Rrhea — discharge

36. Rrhagia — flowing/bursting forth (bleeding)

37. rraphy — suture of

38. Sthen — pertaining to strength

39. Taxis — order, arrangement of

40. Trophy — nourishment

41. Uria — to do with urine

Practical usage and examples

• Common example terms (illustrative):

  • neuralgia = pain of the nerves (root: neur- + -algia)

  • myasthenia = muscle weakness (root: my- + -asthenia)

  • bronchiectasis = dilation of the bronchi (root: bronchi- + -ectasis)

  • osteoblast = bone-forming cell (root: osteo- + -blast)

  • hydrocele = fluid-filled hernia (root: hydro- + -cele)

  • bactericidal = killing bacteria (root: bacteri- + -cid)

  • hemolysis = dissolution of blood cells (root: hemo- + -lysis) (Can also use Cylsis here for dissolution)

  • streptococcus = chain-forming round bacterium (root: strepto- + -coccus)

  • leukocyte = white blood cell (root: leuco- + -cyte)

  • appendectomy = excision/removal of the appendix (root: append- + -ectomy)

  • anemia = blood condition characterized by lack of red blood cells (root: an- + -emia)

  • anesthesia = without sensation (root: an- + -esthesia)

  • afferent = carrying toward (e.g., nerve impulses toward the brain) (root: af- + -ferent)

  • pathogenic = pertaining to disease production (root: patho- + -genic)

  • pediatrics = practice of healing children (root: ped- + -iatrics)

  • dermatitis = inflammation of the skin (root: dermat- + -itis)

  • cardiology = study of the heart (root: cardio- + -logy)

  • osteomalacia = softening of the bones (root: osteo- + -malacia)

  • lipoma = a benign tumor of fat (root: lip- + -oma)

  • nephrosis = a disease condition of the kidney (root: nephr- + -osis)

  • colostomy = creation of an opening in the colon (root: colo- + -ostomy)

  • tracheotomy = cutting into the trachea (root: tracheo- + -otomy)

  • neuropathy = disease of the nerves (root: neur- + -pathy)

  • leukopenia = decrease/deficiency of white blood cells (root: leuko- + -penia)

  • nephropexy = surgical fixation of the kidney (root: nephro- + -pexy)

  • dysphagia = difficulty eating/swallowing (root: dys- + -phagia)

  • aphasia = absence of speech (root: a- + -phasia)

  • hydrophobia = fear of water (root: hydro- + -phobia)

  • rhinoplasty = surgical repair of the nose (root: rhino- + -plasty)

  • dyspnea = difficult breathing (root: dys- + -pnea)

  • hematopoiesis = formation of blood cells (root: hemato- + -poiesis)

  • blepharoptosis = drooping of the eyelid (root: blepharo- + -ptosis)

  • arrhythmia = abnormal rhythm (root: a- + -rhythmia)

  • rhinorrhea = discharge from the nose (root: rhino- + -rrhea)

  • hemorrhage = bursting forth of blood (root: hemo- + -rrhagia)

  • herniorrhaphy = suture of a hernia (root: hernio- + -rraphy)

  • neurasthenia = nervous weakness (root: neuro- + -sthenia)

  • ataxia = lack of muscle coordination/order (root: a- + -taxis)

  • atrophy = wasting away/lack of nourishment (root: a- + -trophy)

  • polyuria = excessive urination (root: poly- + -uria)