Glossary of Word Parts

Glossary of Word Parts

• ab-
  Meaning: away from, outside of, beyond

• abdomin/o
  Meaning: abdomen

• anti-
  Meaning: against, opposed

• -ac
  Meaning: converts a root or noun to an adjective

• aort/o
  Meaning: aorta

• -ar
  Meaning: converts a root or noun to an adjective

• acoust/o
  Meaning: sound

• arachn/o
  Meaning: spider

• acus/o
  Meaning: hearing

• arter/i/o
  Meaning: artery

• acr/o
  Meaning: extremities

• ather/o
  Meaning: fatty

• ad-
  Meaning: toward, near to

• arthr/o
  Meaning: joint

• aden/o
  Meaning: gland

• aspir/o
  Meaning: breathe in

• adeno-
  Meaning: glandlike

• atri/o
  Meaning: atrium

• adren/o
  Meaning: adrenal glands

• -ary
  Meaning: converts a root or noun to an adjective

• adrenal/o
  Meaning: adrenal glands

• audi/o
  Meaning: sound

• adip/o
  Meaning: fat

• aur/o
  Meaning: ear

• -al
  Meaning: adjective suffix

• auricul/o
  Meaning: ear

• albin/o
  Meaning: white

• -algia
  Meaning: pain

• balan/o
  Meaning: glans penis

• bi-
  Meaning: two

• aliment/o
  Meaning: nutrition

• blephar/o
  Meaning: eyelid

• amni/o
  Meaning: amnion

• brachi/o
  Meaning: arm

• -amphi
  Meaning: both sides

• brady-
  Meaning: slow

• a-, an-
  Meaning: not; without

• bronch/o
  Meaning: bronchus

• -an
  Meaning: converts a root or noun to an adjective

• bronchi/o
  Meaning: bronchus

• -aneous
  Meaning: converts a root or noun to an adjective

• bucc/o
  Meaning: cheek

• angi/o
  Meaning: blood vessel

• calcane/o
  Meaning: calcaneus, heel bone

• ankyl/o
  Meaning: stiff, fused, closed

• calc/i
  Meaning: calcium

• card/i/o
  Meaning: heart

• ante-
  Meaning: before

• anter/o
  Meaning: front, anterior

• carp/o
  Meaning: wrist

• -cele
  Meaning: protrusion, hernia

• -desis
  Meaning: surgical binding

• di-, dipl-
  Meaning: two, twice

• -centesis
  Meaning: surgical puncture

• cephal/o
  Meaning: head

• dipl/o
  Meaning: two, double

• dia-
  Meaning: across, through

• cerebell/o
  Meaning: cerebellum

• cerebr/o
  Meaning: cerebrum; brain

• dis-
  Meaning: remove

• cerv/o
  Meaning: neck, cervix

• cervic/o
  Meaning: neck, cervix

• dors/o
  Meaning: back

• cheil/o
  Meaning: lip

• duoden/o
  Meaning: duodenum

• chole, chol/o
  Meaning: bile, gall

• -dynia
  Meaning: pain

• cholangi/o
  Meaning: bile duct

• dys-
  Meaning: painful, bad, difficult

• cholecyst/o
  Meaning: gallbladder

• -eal
  Meaning: converts a root or noun to an adjective

• choledoch/o
  Meaning: common bile duct

• ec-, ecto-
  Meaning: outside

• chondr/o
  Meaning: cartilage

• -ectomy
  Meaning: surgical removal

• -ectasia
  Meaning: expansion or dilation

• cirrh/o
  Meaning: yellow

• -ectasis
  Meaning: expansion or dilation

• col/o, colon/o
  Meaning: colon

• -edema
  Meaning: excessive fluid

• colp/o
  Meaning: vagina

• electr/o
  Meaning: electricity

• con-
  Meaning: with

• -emesis
  Meaning: vomiting

• conjunctiv/o
  Meaning: conjunctiva (conjunctivae, plural)

• -emia
  Meaning: blood

• contra-
  Meaning: against

• en-
  Meaning: inside

• corne/o
  Meaning: horny

• enchephal/o
  Meaning: brain

• coron/o
  Meaning: crown; encircling, such as in the coronary blood vessels encircling the heart

• cortic/o
  Meaning: outer layer or covering

• endo-
  Meaning: within, inner

• endocrin/o
  Meaning: secreting internally

• enter/o
  Meaning: intestine

• cost/o
  Meaning: rib

• crani/o
  Meaning: cranium, skull

• epi-
  Meaning: upon, above, in addition

• crin/o
  Meaning: to separate or secrete

• -eous
  Meaning: converts a root or noun to an adjective

• cutane/o
  Meaning: skin

• erythr/o
  Meaning: red

• cyan/o
  Meaning: blue

• esophag/o
  Meaning: esophagus

• ex-, exo-
  Meaning: outside

• cyst/o
  Meaning: bladder

• extra-
  Meaning: beyond

• -cyte, cyt/o
  Meaning: cell

• fasci/o
  Meaning: fibrous membrane

• dacry/o
  Meaning: tears, lacrimal sac, or lacrimal duct

• femur/o
  Meaning: femur, thighbone

• dactylo
  Meaning: finger, toe

• fer/o
  Meaning: to carry

• de-
  Meaning: without, not

• fibr/o
  Meaning: fiber

• dent/i, dent/o
  Meaning: teeth

• derm/o
  Meaning: skin

• dermat/o
  Meaning: skin

• gastr/o
  Meaning: stomach

• -iatry
  Meaning: medical specialty

• -gen, -genic
  Meaning: origin, cause, formation

• -ic
  Meaning: suffix that converts a noun to an adjective

• -genesis
  Meaning: origin, producing

• gen/o
  Meaning: origin, producing

• -ical
  Meaning: converts a root or noun to an adjective

• ger/o/onto
  Meaning: old age

• gingiv/o
  Meaning: gums

• ichthy/o
  Meaning: dry, scaly

• gli/o
  Meaning: glue

• -ics
  Meaning: medical specialty

• ile/o
  Meaning: ileum

• glomerul/o
  Meaning: glomerulus

• immun/o
  Meaning: immune system

• gloss/o
  Meaning: tongue

• -ine
  Meaning: suffix used in the formation of names of chemical substances

• gluc/o
  Meaning: sugar, glucose, glycogen

• glyc/o
  Meaning: sugar, glucose, glycogen

• infra-
  Meaning: inside or below

• gonad/o
  Meaning: gonads, sex glands

• inguin/o
  Meaning: groin

• -gram
  Meaning: a recording, usually by an instrument; written record of something

• inter-
  Meaning: between

• intra-
  Meaning: inside, within

• -graph
  Meaning: the instrument for making a recording

• irid/o
  Meaning: iris

• -ism
  Meaning: a condition of; a process; or a state of

• -ist
  Meaning: specialist in a field of study

• gynec/o
  Meaning: woman, female

• -itis
  Meaning: inflammation

• hem/a/to
  Meaning: blood

• jaund/o
  Meaning: yellow

• hemi-
  Meaning: half

• jejun/o
  Meaning: jejunum

• hem/o
  Meaning: blood

• kerat/o
  Meaning: horn, cornea

• hemat/o
  Meaning: blood

• kine-
  Meaning: movement

• hepat/o
  Meaning: liver

• kinesi/o
  Meaning: movement

• humer/o
  Meaning: humerus, upper arm bone

• -kinesia
  Meaning: movement

• hydr/o
  Meaning: water

• kyph/o
  Meaning: hump

• hyper-
  Meaning: above, beyond normal

• lacrim/o
  Meaning: tear, lacrimal apparatus

• hypo-
  Meaning: low, below, below normal

• lact/o
  Meaning: milk

• hypophys/o
  Meaning: pituitary gland

• lapar/o
  Meaning: abdomen

• hyster/o
  Meaning: uterus

• Laryng/o
  Meaning: larynx

• -iac
  Meaning: converts a root or noun to an adjective

• ligament/o
  Meaning: ligament

• -lith
  Meaning: stone, calculus, calcification

• -ian
  Meaning: specialist

• lob/o
  Meaning: lobe

• -iasis
  Meaning: a condition or state

• -logy
  Meaning: study of

• -iatric
  Meaning: converts a root or noun to an adjective

• lord/o
  Meaning: swayback, curve

• -iatric
  Meaning: medical specialty

• lumb/o
  Meaning: lower back

• iatr/o
  Meaning: physician

• lymph/o
  Meaning: lymph or lymphatic system