TERM

DEFINITION

A, An- 

Without, lack of

Ab- 

Away from

-able

Capable 

Acou- 

Hearing 

Acr- 

Extremity 

Ad- 

To, towards, near to

Adeno- 

gland

-al

Expressing relationship

-algia

Pain 

Angio- 

vessel

Ante-

Before, forward

Anti- 

Against, reversed

Arthr- 

Joint 

-ary 

Associated with 

-asis 

Condition, state of

Auto- 

self

Bi- 

Twice, double

Bio- 

live

-blast

Bud, germ

Brady- 

slow

-c

Expressing relationship

Carcin- 

Cancer 

Cardio- 

Heart

Cata- 

Down, according to 

Cephal- 

Head 

-cele 

Hollow 

Cerebro- 

Brain 

Chol- 

bile

Cholecyst- 

Gallbladder 

Chondr- 

Cartilage 

-cide 

kill

Circum- 

Around, about 

-clast 

Smash, break 

Co-, Com-, Con-

With, together 

Contra- 

Against, opposite 

Crypto- 

Hidden 

Cysto- 

Bladder, sac

Cyto-, -cyte 

Cell 

De- 

Away from

Derm- 

Skin 

Di- 

Two 

Dia- 

Through, apart, across

-duct

Leading, drawing

-dynia

Pain 

Dys- 

Difficult, bad 

E- 

Out, away from

Ec- 

Out from

Ecto- 

On outer side

-ectomy 

Cut out

-edem- 

swell

Em-, En-

In 

-emia 

Blood 

Endo- 

Within 

Entero- 

Intestine 

Epi- 

Upon, on 

Erythro- 

Red 

Eu- 

Well, good 

Ex- 

Out, away from 

Exo- 

Outside, on outer side

Extra- 

Outside 

-ferent 

Carry 

-form 

Expressing resemblance 

Gastro- 

stomach

-genesis 

Produce, origin 

Gloss- 

Tongue 

Glyco- 

Sugar, sweet 

-gram 

A drawing 

-graph 

Instrument that records 

Hem- 

Blood 

Hemi- 

Half 

Hepato- 

Liver 

Hetero- 

Different, other 

Hist- 

Tissue 

Homeo-, Homo- 

Same 

Hydro- 

Wet, water

Hyper- 

Over, above, excessive 

Hypo- 

Under, below, deficient 

-ia, -id 

Expressing condition 

-iatr- 

Treat, cure 

-im 

Not 

In- 

In, intro 

Infra- 

Below, beneath 

Inter- 

Between 

Intra- 

Within 

-ism 

Condition, state of 

Iso- 

Equal, the same 

-itis 

Inflammation 

-ity 

Expressing condition 

Kerato- 

Cornea or horny tissue

-kin- 

Move 

Leuko- 

White 

-liga- 

Bind 

Lip- 

Fat 

-logy

Study 

-lysis 

Breaking up, dissolving 

Macro- 

Large 

Mal-

Bad

Malaco- 

Soft 

Mast- 

Breast 

Mega- 

Great 

Melano- 

Black 

Meso-  

Middle, mid 

Meta- 

Beyond, after, change 

Micro- 

Small 

Mito- 

Thread, filament 

Mono- 

One, single 

-morph-

Form 

Multi- 

Many, much 

Myelo- 

Marrow, spinal cord

Myo- 

Muscles 

Narco- 

Numbness 

Neo- 

New 

Nephro- 

Kidney 

Neuro- 

Nerve 

Oculo- 

Eye 

Odonto- 

Tooth or teeth 

-oid 

Expressing resemblance 

Oligo- 

Few, scanty, little

-oma 

Tumor 

-op-

See, sight 

Ophthalm- 

Eye 

Ortho- 

Straight, normal 

-ory 

Referring to 

-ose

Full of 

-osis 

Condition of

Ostea- 

Bone 

Oto- 

Ear 

-ous 

Expressing material 

Para- 

Beside, beyond, near to

-pathy

Disease 

-penia 

Deficiency 

Per- 

Through, excessive 

Peri- 

Around 

-phag 

Eat 

-phas- 

Speak, utter 

-phil- 

Like, love

Phleb- 

Vein 

-phobia 

Fear 

-plas- 

Form, grow 

-plegia 

Paralyze 

-pne- 

Breathe 

Pneumo- 

Air, gas, lungs

Pod- 

Foot 

-poie-

making, production

poly-

many, much

post-

after, behind

pre-, pro-

before, in front of

pronto-

anus, rectum

pseudo-

false

psycho-

mind, soul

pyo-

pus

re-

back, again, contrary

retro-

backward, located behind

-rrhagia

burst forth, pour

-rrhea

flow, discharge

sarco-

flesh, fleshy

-sclero-

hard

-scope

examine

semi-

half

somato-

body

-stasis

stop, stand still

steno-

narrow

-stomy

to make an artificial opening

sub-

under

super-

above, upper, excessive

supra-

above, upon

sym-, syn-

together, with

tachy-

fast, swift

therm-

heat

-tomy

cut, inside

tox-

poison

trans-

across, through, beyond

tri-

three

-troph-

nourish

-tropic

changing, influencing

-uria

urine

vas-

vessel

vene-

vein

viscer-

internal organ

zyg-

yoked, paired