Medical terminology

In medicine, medical terminology is language used to describe the components, processes, conditions of the human body, and the medical procedures and treatments performed upon it.

In the English language, medical terminology generally has a regular morphology, such that the same prefixes and suffixes are used to add meanings to different roots.^[1] The root of a term often refers to an organ, tissue, or condition.^[2] Roots, prefixes and suffixes are often derived from Greek or Latin, and often quite dissimilar from their English-language variants.^[3]

Medical terminology includes a large part of anatomical terminology, which is concerned with the names of various parts of the body. It also includes language from biology, chemistry, physics, and physiology, as well as vocabulary unique to the field of medicine.

Medical dictionaries are often used as references for medical terminology.

Linguistics

In the English language, medical terms often comprise three morphemes: roots, a prefixes, and a suffixes.^[4] The etymology of medical terms often originates from Latin and Ancient Greek. Each language may supply relevant morphemes for medical terms. For example, there are two primary roots for medical terminology relating to kidneys – one from Greek (νεφρός nephr(os)) and one from Latin (ren(es)).

Morphological rules

Roots

The word root is developed to include a vowel sound following the term to add a smoothing action to the sound of the word when applying a suffix. The result is the formation of a new term with a vowel attached (word root + vowel) called a combining form. In English, the most common vowel used in the formation of the combining form is the letter -o-, added to the word root. For example, if there is an inflammation of the stomach and intestines, this would be written as gastro- and enter- plus -itis, gastroenteritis.

The formation of plurals should usually be done using the rules of the source language. Greek and Latin each have differing rules to be applied when forming the plural form of the word root.

Affixes

Prefixes and suffixes, primarily in Greek—but also in Latin, have a droppable -o-. As a general rule, this vowel almost always acts as a joint-stem to connect two consonantal roots (e.g. arthr- + -o- + -logy = arthrology), but generally, the -o- is dropped when connecting to a vowel-stem (e.g. arthr- + -itis = arthritis, instead of arthr-o-itis).

Prefixes do not normally require further modification to be added to a word root because the prefix normally ends in a vowel or vowel sound, although in some cases they may assimilate slightly and an in- may change to im- or syn- to sym-.

Generally, Greek prefixes go with Greek suffixes and Latin prefixes with Latin suffixes. Although it is technically considered acceptable to create hybrid words, it is strongly preferred in coining new terms not to mix different lingual roots. Examples of accepted medical words that do mix lingual roots are neonatology and quadriplegia.

Suffixes

Suffixes are attached to the end of a word root to add meaning such as condition, disease process, or procedure.

Suffixes are categorized as either (1) needing the combining form, or (2) not needing the combining form since they start with a vowel.

Common terms

Anatomical terms of location

Relational

Affix	Meaning	Origin language and etymology	Example(s)
a-, an-	not, without (alpha privative)	Greek ἀ-/ἀν- (a-/an-), not, without	analgesic, apathy, anencephaly
ab-	from; away from	Latin	abduction, abdomen
acr-	extremity, topmost	Greek ἄκρον (ákron), highest or farthest point	acromegaly, acroosteolysis, acrosome
ad-	at, increase, on, toward	Latin ad-, to	adduction
ana-	back, again, up	Greek ἀνα- (ana-)	anaplasia
aniso-	describing something as unequal	Greek ἄνῑσος (ánīsos), unequal	anisocytosis, anisotropic
ankyl-, ancyl-	denoting something as crooked or bent	Greek ἀγκύλος (ankúlos), crooked, curved	ankylosis
ante-	describing something as positioned in front of another thing	Latin āntē, before, in front of	antepartum
apo-	away, separated from, derived from	Greek ἀπό (apó)	apoptosis, apocrine
infra-	below	Latin īnfrā, below	infrahyoid muscles
inter-	between, among	Latin inter	interarticular ligament
intra-	within	Latin intrā	intramural
ipsi-	same	Latin ipsi-	ipsilateral

Organ systems

Affix	Meaning	Origin language and etymology	Example(s)
aden-	of or relating to a gland	Greek ἀδήν, ἀδέν-, (adḗn, adén-), an acorn; a gland	adenocarcinoma, adenology
adip-	of or relating to fat or fatty tissue	Latin adeps, adip-, fat	adipocyte

Pathology

Affix	Meaning	Origin language and etymology	Example(s)
-aemia, ema, hemat (BrE) -emia	blood condition	Greek ἀναιμία (anaimía), without blood	anaemia
alge(si)-	pain	Greek ἄλγος (álgos)	analgesic
-aemia, ema, hemat (BrE) -emia	blood condition	Greek ἀναιμία (anaimía), without blood	anaemia
alge(si)-	pain	Greek ἄλγος (álgos)	analgesic

Roots and affixes

Affix	Meaning	Origin language and etymology	Example(s)
angi-	blood vessel	Greek ἀγγεῖον (angeîon)	angiogram, angioplasty
arthr-	of or pertaining to the joints, limbs	Greek ἄρθρον (árthron), a joint, limb	arthritis
articul-	joint	Latin articulus	articulation
-asthenia	weakness	Greek ἀσθένεια (asthéneia), sick, weak	myasthenia gravis
ather-	fatty deposit, soft gruel-like deposit	ἀθάρη (athárē)	atherosclerosis
aur-	of or pertaining to the ear	Latin auris, the ear	aural
balan-	of the glans penis or glans clitoridis	Greek βάλανος (bálanos), acorn, glans	balanitis
bas-	of or pertaining to base	Greek βάσις (básis), foundation, base	basolateral
blast-	germinate or bud	Greek βλαστός (blastós)	blastomere
blephar(o)-	of or pertaining to the eyelid	Greek βλέφαρον (blépharon), eyelid	blepharoplasty
brachi(o)-	of or relating to the arm	Latin bracchium, from Greek βραχίων(brakhíōn), arm	brachium of inferior colliculus
brachy-	indicating 'short' or less commonly 'little'	Greek βραχύς (brakhús), short, little, shallow	brachycephalic
brady-	slow	Greek βραδύς (bradús), slow	bradycardia, bradyzoite
capill-	of or pertaining to hair	Latin capillus, hair	capillus
carp-	of or pertaining to the wrist	Latin carpus < Greek καρπός (karpós), wrist; NOTE: This root should not be confused with the mirror root carp(o)- meaning fruit.	carpal, carpopedal spasm, metacarpal
cata-	down, under	Greek κατά (katá)	catabolism, catacombs, cataract
-cele	pouching, hernia	Greek κήλη (kḗlē)	hydrocele, varicocele
cephal(o)-	of or pertaining to the head (as a whole)	Greek κεφαλή (kephalḗ), the head	cephalalgia, hydrocephalus
cervic-	of or pertaining to the neck or the cervix	Latin cervix, cervīc-), neck, cervix	cervical vertebrae, cervicodorsal
bil(i)-, chol(e)-	of or pertaining to bile	Greek χολή (kholḗ), bile	cholaemia (UK) / cholemia (US), cholecystitis
cholecyst(o)-	of or pertaining to the gallbladder	Greek χοληκύστις (kholēkústis), gallbladder < χολή (kholḗ), bile, gall + κύστις (kústis), bladder	cholecystectomy
chondr(i)o-	cartilage, gristle, granule, granular	Greek χονδρός (khondrós)	chondrocalcinosis
chrom(ato)-	color	Greek χρῶμα (khrôma)	hemochromatosis
cili-	of or pertaining to the cilia, the eyelashes; eyelids	Latin cilium, eyelash; eyelid	ciliary
-clast	break	Greek κλαστός (klastós), broken	osteoclast
colp-	of or pertaining to the vagina	Greek κόλπος (kólpos), bosom, womb; hollow, depth	colposcopy
cor-	of or pertaining to the eye's pupil	Greek κόρη (kórē), girl, doll; pupil of the eye	corectomy
cortic-	cortex, outer region	Latin cortex, bark of a tree	corticosteroid
cost-	of or pertaining to the ribs	Latin costa, rib	costochondral
cyst(o)-, cyst(i)-	of or pertaining to the urinary bladder	Greek κύστις (kústis), bladder, cyst	cystostomy
cyt(o)-, -cyte	cell	Greek κύτος (kútos), a hollow, vessel	cytokine, leukocyte, cytoplasm
de-	from, down, or away from	Latin de-	dehydrate, demonetize, demotion
-desis	binding	Greek δέσις (désis)	arthrodesis
dextr(o)-	right, on the right side	Latin dexter	dextrocardia
dia-	through, during, across	Greek διά (diá), through, during, across	dialysis
-dipsia	(condition of) thirst	Greek δίψα (dípsa)	dipsomania, polydipsia
dors(o)-, dors(i)-	of or pertaining to the back	Latin dorsum, back	dorsal
dromo-	running, conduction, course	Greek δρόμος (drómos)	dromotropic, syndrome
duodeno-	twelve	Latin duodeni	duodenal atresia, duodenum
dura-	hard	Latin durus	dura mater
-dynia	pain	Greek ὀδύνη (odúnē)	vulvodynia
ect(o)-	outer, outside	Greek ἐκτός (ektós)	ectoblast, ectoderm, ectoplasm
-ectasia, -ectasis	expansion, dilation	Greek ἔκτασις (éktasis)	bronchiectasis, telangiectasia
-ectomy	denotes a surgical operation or removal of a body part; resection, excision	Greek ἐκτομή (ektomḗ), excision	mastectomy
-edema	swelling	Greek οἴδημα (oídēma), swelling	lymphedema, lipedema
-emesis	vomiting condition	Greek ἕμεσις (hémesis)	hematemesis
encephal(o)-	of or pertaining to the brain	Greek ἐγκέφαλος (enképhalos), the brain	encephalogram
enter(o)-	of or pertaining to the intestine	Greek ἔντερον (énteron), intestine	gastroenterology
epi-	on, upon	Greek ἐπι- (epi-), before, upon, on, outside, outside of	epicardium, epidermis, epidural, episclera, epistaxis
episi(o)-	of or pertaining to the pubic region, the loins	Greek ἐπίσιον (epísion), the pubic area, loins; vulva	episiotomy
eu-	true, good, well, normal	εὖ (eû)	eukaryote, euglycemia
ex-	out of, away from, to remove	Latin ex-	excision, exsanguination
exo-	denotes something as "outside" another	Greek ἔξω (éxō), outside of, external	exophthalmos
fore-	before or ahead	Old English fōr(e)-, before, in front of	foregut
-genic	formative; pertaining to producing	Greek -γενής (-genḗs)	cardiogenic shock
-geusia	taste	Greek γεῦσις (geûsis)	ageusia, dysgeusia, hypergeusia, hypogeusia, parageusia
gingiv-	of or pertaining to the gums	Latin gingīva, gum	gingivitis
glauc(o)-	Having a grey or bluish-grey colour	Greek γλαυκός (glaukós), grey, bluish-grey	glaucoma
gloss(o)-, glott(o)-	of or pertaining to the tongue	Greek γλῶσσα, γλῶττα (glôssa, glôtta), tongue	glossology
gluco-, glyc-	sweet, sugar	Greek γλυκύς (glukús), sweet	glucocorticoid, hypogycemia
gon-	seed, semen; reproductive	Greek γόνος (gónos), fruit, seed, procreating	gonorrhea
hemangi(o)-	blood vessels	Greek αἷμα, (grc), blood, + ἀγγεῖον(angeîon), vessel, urn	hemangioma
hepat-, hepatic-	of or pertaining to the liver	Greek ἧπαρ, ἠπᾰτ- (hêpar, ēpat-), the liver	hepatology, hepatitis
hidr(o)-	sweat	Greek ἱδρώς, ἱδρωτ- (hidrṓs, hidrōt-), sweat, perspiration	hyperhidrosis
hist(o)-, histio-	tissue	Greek ἱστός (histós), web, tissue	histology
humer(o)-	of or pertaining to the shoulder (or [rarely] the upper arm)	Latin umerus, shoulder	humerus
hyster(o)-	of or pertaining to the womb or the uterus	Greek ὑστέρα (hustéra), womb	hysterectomy, hysteria
-iasis	condition, formation, or presence of	Latin -iasis, pathological condition or process; from Greek ἴασις (íasis), cure, repair, mend	mydriasis
idio-	self, one's own	Greek ἴδιος (ídios), one's own	idiopathic
ileo-	ileum	Greek εἰλεός (eileós), to shut in, intestinal obstruction	ileocecal valve
ilio-	ilium	Latin groin or flank	iliocostalis
isch-	restriction	Greek ἴσχω (ískhō), hold back, restrain	ischemia
-ismus	spasm, contraction	Greek -ισμός	hemiballismus
-ite	the nature of, resembling	Latin -ītēs, those belonging to, from Greek -ίτης (-ítēs)	dendrite
-itis	inflammation	Greek -ῖτις (-îtis) fem. form of -ίτης (-ítēs), pertaining to, because it was used with the feminine noun νόσος (nósos, disease), thus -îtis nósos, disease of the, disease pertaining to	tonsillitis
-ium	structure, tissue	Latin -ium, aggregation or mass of (such as tissue)	pericardium
juxta-	near to, alongside, or next to	Latin iuxta	juxtaglomerular apparatus
kal-	potassium	New Latin kalium, potassium	hyperkalemia
kary-^[5]	nucleus	Greek κάρυον (káruon), nut	eukaryote
kerat-^[6]	cornea (eye or skin)	Greek κέρας (kéras), horn	keratoscope
kine-^[7]	movement	Greek κινέω (kinéō), to move, to change	akinetopsia, kinesthesia
koil-^[8]	hollow	Greek κοῖλος (koîlos)	koilocyte
kyph-^[9]	humped	Greek κυφός (kuphós), bent forward, stooping, hunchbacked	kyphoscoliosis
labi-	of or pertaining to the lip	Latin labia, labium, lip	labiodental
lacrim(o)-	tear	Latin lacrima, tear from crying	Lacrimal canaliculi
lact(i)-, lact(o)	milk	Latin lac, milk	lactation, lactose
lapar(o)-	of or pertaining to the abdominal wall, flank	Greek λαπάρα (lapára), flank	laparotomy
laryng(o)-	of or pertaining to the larynx, the lower throat cavity where the voice box is	Greek λᾰ́ρυγξ, (lárunx), throat, gullet	laryngoscopy
latero-	lateral	Latin laterālis, lateral, of or belonging to the side	lateral pectoral nerve
lei(o)-	smooth	Greek λεῖος (leîos), smooth	leiomyoma
-lepsis, -lepsy	attack, seizure	Greek λῆψις (lêpsis), seizure	epilepsy, narcolepsy
lept(o)-	light, slender	Greek λεπτός (leptós), thin, lean	leptomeningeal
leuc(o)-, leuk(o)-	denoting a white color	Greek λευκός (leukós), white, bright, pale	leukocyte
lingu(a)-, lingu(o)-	of or pertaining to the tongue	Latin lingua, tongue, speech, language	linguistics
lip(o)-	fat	Greek λίπος (lípos), fat, lard	liposuction
liss(os)-	smooth	Greek Λισσός (Lissós), smooth	lissencephaly
lith(o)-	stone, calculus	Greek λῐ́θος (líthos)	lithotripsy
log(o)-	speech	Greek λόγος (lógos)	Logopenic progressive aphasia
lumb(o)-, lumb(a)-	of or relating to the part of the trunk between the lowest ribs and the pelvis.	Latin lumbus or lumbaris, loin	lumbosacral plexus
-lysis	destruction, separation	Greek λῠ́σῐς (lúsis), loosen, release	paralysis
-malacia	softening	Greek μαλακία (malakía), soft, weak, self-indulgent	osteomalacia
mamm(o)-	of or pertaining to the breast	Latin mamma, breast, udder	mammogram
mammill(o)-	of or pertaining to the nipple	Latin mammilla, nipple	mammillaplasty, mammillitis
manu-	of or pertaining to the hand	Latin manus, hand	manufacture
mast(o)-	of or pertaining to the breast	Greek μαστός (mastós), breast, woman's breast, man's pectoral muscle	mastectomy
meg(a)-, megal(o)-, -megaly	enlargement, million	Greek μέγᾰς (mégas), big, large, great, mighty	splenomegaly, megameter
melos	extremity	Greek μέλος (mélos), part of a body, limb, member	erythromelalgia
mening(o)-	membrane	Greek μῆνῐγξ (mêninx)	meninges, meningitis
men-	month, menstrual cycle	Greek μήν (mḗn), month	menopause, menorrhagia
mer(o)-	part	Greek μέρος (méros), part, component, region	merocrine, meroblastic
mes-	middle	Greek μέσος (mésos), middle, between, half	mesoderm, mesothelium
met, meta-	after, beside, beyond or change	Greek μετᾰ́ (metá), with, among, along with, in common with	metacarpal, metacarpus, metanephros, metatheria
metr-	pertaining to conditions or instruments of the uterus	Greek μήτρᾱ (mḗtrā), womb, uterus	metrorrhagia
morph-	form, shape	Greek μορφή (morphḗ)	morphology
my(o)-	of or relating to muscle	Greek μῦς, μυ- (mûs, mu-), muscle, mouse, mussel	myoblast
myel(o)-	of or relating to bone marrow or the spinal cord	Greek μυελός (muelós), marrow, bone-marrow	myelin sheath, myeloblast
myl(o)-	of or relating to molarteeth or the lower jaw	Greek μῠ́λη (múlē, mill, grind, molars	mylohyoid nerve
myring(o)-	eardrum	Latin myringa, eardrum	myringotomy
myx(o)-	mucus	Greek μύξᾰ (múxa), mucus, nasal discharge	myxoma
nan(o)-	dwarf, small	Greek νᾶνος (nânos), dwarf	nanogram, nanosecond
narc(o)-	numb, sleep	Greek νάρκη (nárkē), numbess, torpor	narcolepsy
nas(o)-	of or pertaining to the nose	Latin nāsus, nose	nasal
nephr(o)-	of or pertaining to the kidney	Greek νεφρός (nephrós), kidney	nephrology
noci-	pain, injury, hurt	Latin noceō	nociception
norm-, normo-	normal	Latin nōrma, norm or standard; lit. carpenter's square	normocapnia
ocul-	of or pertaining to the eye	Latin oculus, the eye	oculist
odont-	of or pertaining to teeth	Greek ὀδούς, ὀδοντ- (odoús, odont-), tooth	orthodontist
-odyn-	pain	Greek ὀδύνη (odúnē)	allodynia
-oesophageal, oesophago-(BrE)	gullet	Greek οἰσοφᾰ́γος (oisophágos)	oesophagogastroduodenoscopy
-oid	resemblance to	Greek -ειδής (-eidḗs), like, connected to, pertaining to	sarcoidosis
ole	small or little	Latin -olus, suffix to form a diminutive of the noun	arteriole
olig-	having little, having few	Greek ὀλῐ́γος (olígos), few	oligotrophy
om(o)-	shoulder	Greek ὦμος (ômos), shoulder	omohyoid muscle
-oma(singular), -omata(plural)	tumor, mass, fluid collection	Greek -μα (-ma), suffix added to verbs to form nouns indicating the result of a process or action; cf. English -tion	sarcoma, teratoma, mesothelioma
omphal(o)-	of or pertaining to the navel, the umbilicus	Greek ὀμφαλός (omphalós), navel, belly-button	omphalotomy
onco-	tumor, bulk, volume	Greek ὄγκος (ónkos)	oncology
-one			hormone
onych(o)-	of or pertaining to the nail (of a finger or toe)	Greek ὄνυξ, ὀνυχο- (ónux, onukho-), nail; claw; talon	onychophagy
oo-	of or pertaining to an (egg), a woman's egg, the ovum	Greek ᾠόν, ᾠο- (ōión, ōio-), egg, ovum	oogenesis
oophor(o)-	of or pertaining to the woman's (ovary)	Neoclassical Greek ᾠοφόρον (ōiophóron), ovary, egg-bearing	oophorectomy
ophthalm(o)-	of or pertaining to the (eye)	Greek ὀφθαλμός (ophthalmós), the eye	ophthalmology
opistho-	back, behind, rear^[10]	Greek ὄπῐσθεν (ópisthen), behind, at the back	opisthotonus
-opsy	examination or inspection	Greek ὄψῐς (ópsis), view	biopsy, autopsy
optic(o)-	of or relating to chemical properties of the eye	Middle French optique; from Greek ὀπτῐκός (optikós); cognate with Latin oculus, relating to the eye	opticochemical
or(o)-	of or pertaining to the mouth	Latin ōs, ōris, mouth	oral
-or	one who, agent noun–forming suffix	generally appended where Latin would do it—to the root of a Latin-type perfect passive participle. Cf. -er	doctor
orchi(o)-, orchid(o)-, orch(o)-	testis	Greek ὄρχις (órkhis), testicle, ovary	orchiectomy, orchidectomy
orth(o)-	denoting something as straight or correct	Greek ὀρθός (orthós), straight, correct, normal	orthodontist
-osis	a condition, disease, process or increase	Greek -ωσις (-ōsis), state, abnormal condition, action	Harlequin type ichthyosis, psychosis, osteoporosis, phagocytosis
ossi-, osse-	bone, bony	Latin os, bone	peripheral ossifying fibroma, osseous
ost(e)-, oste(o)-	bone	Greek ὀστέον (ostéon), bone	osteoporosis, osteoarthritis
ot(o)-	of or pertaining to the ear	Greek οὖς, ὠτ- (oûs, ōt-), the ear	otology, otosclerosis
-ous	pertaining to	Latin -ōsus, full of, prone to	porous
ovari(o)-	of or pertaining to the ovaries	Latin ōvarium, ovary	ovariectomy
ovo-, ovi-, ov-	of or pertaining to the eggs, the ovum	Latin ōvum, egg, ovum	ovogenesis, ovoviviparity
oxo-, ox/i	addition of oxygen	Greek ὀξύς, sharp, acid	oxidative phosphorylation
oxy-	sharp, acid, acute; oxygen	borrowed from French oxygène (originally principe oxigine, 'acidifying principle', referring to oxygen's role in the formation of acids, from Greek ὀξύς (oxús), sharp, pointed + γένος (génos), birth)	oxytocin, oxygenated, oxycodone
pachy-	thick	Greek πᾰχῠ́ς (pakhús), thick, large, stout	pachyderma, pachymeningitis
-pagus	Indicates conjoined twins, with the first part denoting the organs fused	Greek πάγος (págos), fixed, set, fastened	xiphopagus, parapagus dicephalus, craniopagus parasiticus
palpebr-	of or pertaining to the eyelid (uncommon as a root)	Latin palpebra, eyelid	palpebration
pan-, pant(o)-	complete or containing everything, all	Greek πᾶς, παν- (pâs, pan-), all, every	panophobia, panopticon, pancytopenia
papill-	of or pertaining to the nipple (of the chest/breast)	Latin papilla, nipple; diminutive of papula (see below)	papillitis
papul(o)-	small elevation or swelling in the skin, a pimple, swelling	Latin papula, pimple, pustle; a small elevation or swelling in the skin	papulation
para-	alongside of	Greek πᾰρᾰ́ (pará)	parathyroid
-paresis	slight paralysis	Greek πάρεσις (páresis)	hemiparesis
parvo-	small	Latin parvus, small, little, unimportant	Parvovirus
path(o)-	disease	Greek πᾰ́θος (páthos), pain, suffering, condition	pathology
-pathy	disease or disorder	Greek πᾰ́θος (páthos), suffering, accident	sociopathy, neuropathy
pauci-	Few	Latin paucus	pauci-immune
pector-	breast or chest	Latin pectus	expectorant, pectoriloquy
ped-, -ped-, -pes	of or pertaining to the foot; -footed	Latin pēs, pēd-, foot	pedoscope, orthopedic
ped-, pedo-	of or pertaining to the child	Greek παῖς, παιδός (paîs, paidós), child	pediatrics. pedophilia
pelv(i)-, pelv(o)-	hip bone	Latin pelvis, basin	abdominopelvic cavity
-penia	deficiency	Greek πενῐ́ᾱ, poverty, indigence	osteopenia
-pepsia	relating to digestion or the digestive tract.	Greek πεπτός (peptós), cooked, digested < πέσσω (péssō), I boil, cook; digest	dyspepsia
per-	through	Latin per, through, by means of	percutaneous
peri-	surrounding or around	Greek περῐ́ (perí), around, about, concerning	periodontal
-pexy	fixation	Greek πῆξις (pêxis), fixing in place, fastening	nephropexy
phaco-	lens-shaped	Greek φᾰκός (phakós), lentil-bean	phacolysis, phacoemulsification
-phagia, -phage	eating or ingestion	Greek φαγία (phagía) eating < φᾰγεῖν (phageîn), to eat	trichophagia
-phago-	eating, devouring	Greek -φᾰ́γος (-phágos), eater of, eating	phagocyte
phagist-	eater of	Greek φαγιστής (phagistḗs) eater; see -phagia	geophagist
-phagy	feeding on	Greek φαγία (phagia) eating; see -phagia	hematophagy
phall-	phallus	Greek φαλλός (phallós), penis	aphallia
pharyng-	pertaining to the pharynx	Greek φᾰ́ρῠγξ, φαρυγγ- (phárunx, pharung-), throat, windpipe; chasm	pharyngitis, pharyngotonsillitis
-phyte, phyto-	to grow	Greek φῠτόν (phutón), plant, tree	enthesophyte
piri-	pear-shaped	Latin pirum, cognate with Greek ἄπιον (ápion), pear	piriformis muscle
-plasia	formation, development	Greek πλᾰ́σῐς (plásis), moulding, conformation	achondroplasia
-plasty	surgical repair, reconstruction	Greek πλαστός (plastós), molded, formed	rhinoplasty
-plegia	paralysis	Greek πληγή (plēgḗ), stroke (from a sword), from πληγή (plēgḗ), to strike or smite	paraplegia
pleio-	more, excessive, multiple	Greek πλεῖον (pleîon), more	pleiotropic
pleur-	of or pertaining to the ribs	Greek πλευρᾱ́ (pleurā́), rib, side of the body	pleuropneumonia
-plexy	stroke or seizure	Greek πλήσσω, πλήσσειν (plḗssō, plḗssein), to strike or smite	cataplexy
pne-, pneum-	air, breath, lung	Greek πνεῖν (pneîn), πνεῦμα, πνεύματος (pneûma, pneúmatos), πνεύμων (pneúmōn)	apnea, pneumatology, pneumonocyte, pneumonia
-poiesis	production	Greek ποίησις (poíēsis), poetry, poem, creation	hematopoiesis
post-	after or behind	Latin post, after, behind	postprandial, postmortem
presby-	old age	Greek πρέσβυς (présbus), old man, elder	presbyopia, presbycusis
prim-	first or most important	Latin prīmus, first, most important	primiparous
pro-	before	Greek πρό- (pró-), before, in front of	prodromal
proct-	anus, rectum	Greek πρωκτός (prōktós), anus	proctology
prosop-	face	Greek πρόσωπον (prósōpon), face, visage, mask	prosopagnosia
prot-	first or most important	Greek πρωτος (prōtos), first; principal, most important	protoplasm
psor-	Itching	Greek ψώρα (psṓra), itch, mange, scurvy	psoriasis
ptero-, ptery-, pterygo-	Pertaining to a wing	Greek πτερόν (pterón), wing, feather	lateral pterygoid plate
-ptosis	falling, drooping, downward placement, prolapse	Greek πτῶσῐς (ptôsis), falling	apoptosis, nephroptosis
-ptyal-, ptyalo	saliva, salivary glands		ptyalolithiasis
-ptysis	spitting	Greek πτῡ́ω (ptū́ō), to spit up, disgorge; + -σις (-sis).	hemoptysis
pulmon-, pulmo-	of or relating to the lungs	Latin pulmō, a lung	pulmonary
py-	pus	Greek πύον (púon), pus	pyometra
pyel-	pelvis	Greek πύελος (púelos), pelvis, wash basin	pyelonephritis
pykno-	to thicken (as the nucleus does in early stages of cell death)	Greek πύκνωσις (púknōsis), thickening	pyknosis
pylor-	gate	Greek πυλωρός (pulōrós), gate keeper; lower orifice of the stomach	pyloric sphincter
pyr-	fever	Greek πῦρ, πυρετός (pûr, puretós), fire, heat, fever	antipyretic
radi-	radiation	Latin radiō, I radiate, emit beams; from radius, ray of light, spoke of a wheel	radiowave
radic-	referring to the beginning, or the root, of a structure, usually a nerve or a vein	Latin rādīx, root	radiculopathy
rect-	rectum	abbr. of New Latin rectum intestinum('straight intestine') < Latin rēctus, straight	rectal, rectum, rectus femoris
ren(o)	of or pertaining to the kidney	Latin rēn, rēnes, kidney	renal
reticul(o)-	net	Latin rēticulum	reticulocyte
retro-	backward, behind	Latin retro	retroversion, retroverted
rhabd(o)-	rod shaped, striated	Greek ῥᾰ́βδος (rhábdos), wand, stick, stripe	rhabdomyolysis
rhachi(o)-	spine	Greek ῥάχις (rhákhis), spine or backbone	rachial, rachialgia, rachidian, rachiopathy
rhin(o)-	of or pertaining to the nose	Greek ῥίς, ῥῑνο- (rhís, rhīno-), nose	rhinoceros, rhinoplasty, rhinovirus
rhod(o)-	denoting a rose-red color	Greek ῥόδον (rhódon), rose	rhodophyte
-rrhage, -rrhagia	burst forth, rapid flow (of blood, usually)	Greek -ραγία (-ragía), to break, to burst	hemorrhage, menorrhagia
-rrhaphy	surgical suturing	Greek ῥαφή (rhaphḗ)	hymenorrhaphy, neurorrhaphy
-rrhea(AmE), -rrhoea(BrE)	flowing, discharge	Greek ῥοίᾱ (rhoíā), flow, flux	galactorrhea, diarrhea
-rrhexis	rupture	Greek ῥῆξῐς (rhêxis), breaking, bursting, discharge	karyorrhexis
rubr(o)-	of or pertaining to the red nucleus of the brain	Latin ruber, red	rubrospinal
salping(o)-	of or pertaining to tubes, e.g. fallopian tubes	Greek σᾰ́λπῐγξ, σαλπιγγ-, (sálpinx, salping-), trumpet	salpingectomy, salpingopharyngeus muscle
sarco-	muscular, flesh-like	Greek σάρξ (sárx), flesh	sarcoma, sarcoidosis
schist(o)-	split, cleft	Greek σχῐστός (skhistós), cloven, divided	schistocyte
scler(o)-, -sclerosis	hard	Greek σκληρός (sklērós)	scleroderma, atherosclerosis, multiple sclerosis
-scope	instrument for viewing	Greek σκόπος (skópos), watcher	stethoscope
-scopy	process of viewing	Greek σκοπέω (skopéō), to look at, behold, examine	endoscopy
scoto-	darkness	Greek σκότος (skótos)	scotopic vision
sial(o)-	saliva, salivary gland	Latin salīva, saliva.	sialagogue
sigmoid(o)-	sigmoid, S-shaped curvature	Greek σιγμοειδής (sigmoeidḗs), crescent-shaped, lunate sigma-shaped	sigmoid colon
sito-	food, grain	Greek σῖτος (sîtos)	sitophobia
somat(o)-, somatico-	body, bodily	Greek σῶμα (sôma)	somatic
somn(o)	Sleep	Latin somnus, sleep, drowsiness	insomniac^[11]
-spadias	slit, fissure	Greek σπάω (spáō), break, split	hypospadias, epispadias
splanchn(i)-, splanchn(o)-	viscera	Greek σπλᾰ́γχνον (splánkhnon), bowels, guts	splanchnology
splen(o)-	spleen	Greek σπλήν, σπλην- (splḗn, splēn-), spleen, milt	splenectomy
spondyl(o)-	of or pertaining to the spine, the vertebra	Greek σφόνδῠλος / σπόνδυλος(sphóndulos, spóndulos), the spine	spondylitis
squamos(o)-	denoting something as "full of scales" or "scaly"	Latin squāmōsus, full of scales, scaly	squamous cell
-stalsis	contraction	Greek στέλλω (stéllō), I dispatch, place, set	peristalsis
-stasis	stopping, standing	Greek στᾰ́σῐς (stásis), to stand, place, set	cytostasis, homeostasis
-staxis	dripping, trickling	Greek στάζω, στακτός (stázō, staktós), drip, leak, trickle	epistaxis
sten(o)-	denoting something as narrow in shape or pertaining to narrowness	Greek στενός (stenós), narrow, short	stenography
-stenosis	abnormal narrowing of a blood vessel or other tubular organ or structure	Greek στενός (stenós), narrow, short; + -σῐς (-sis), added to verb stems to form abstract nouns or nouns of action, result or process	restenosis, stenosis
stom-, stomat-	of or pertaining to the mouth; an artificially created opening^[12]	Greek στόμᾰ, στοματ- (stóma, stomat-), mouth	stomatogastric, stomatognathic system
-stomy	creation of an opening	New Latin stoma, opening; from Greek στόμᾰ (stóma)	colostomy
sub-	beneath, under	Latin sub	subcutaneous tissue
super-	in excess, above, superior	Latin super	superior vena cava
supra-	above, excessive	Latin supra	supraorbital vein
tachy-	denoting something as fast, irregularly fast	Greek τᾰχῠ́ς (takhús), fast, quickly	tachycardia, tachypnea
-tension, -tensive	pressure	Latin tēnsiō, stretching, extension, tension	hypertension
terato-	Monster	Greek τέρᾰς (téras)	teratoma, teratogen
tetan-	rigid, tense	Greek τέτανος (tétanos)	tetanus
thec-	case, sheath	Greek θήκη (thḗkē)	intrathecal
thorac(i)-, thorac(o)-, thoracico-	of or pertaining to the upper chest, chest; the area above the breast and under the neck	Latin thōrāx < Greek θώρᾱξ (thṓrāx), chest, cuirass	thoracic spine, thorax
thromb(o)-	of or relating to a blood clot, clotting of blood	Greek θρόμβος (thrómbos), lump, piece, clot of blood	thrombus, thrombocytopenia
toco-	childbirth	Greek τόκος (tókos)	tocolytic, dystocia
-tony	tension	Greek -τονία (-tonía)	Hypotonia
tort(i)-	twisted	Latin tortus	Torticollis, Testicular torsion
trachel(o)-	of or pertaining to the neck	Greek τρᾰ́χηλος (trákhēlos), neck	Tracheloplasty
tri-	three	Latin tri-	Triceps, Trisomy
trich(i)-, trichia, trich(o)-	of or pertaining to hair, hair-like structure	Greek θρῐ́ξ (thríx), hair	Trichocyst
-tripsy	crushing	Greek τρῖψις (trípsis), rubbing, friction	Lithotripsy
-trophy	nourishment, development	Greek τροφή (trophḗ), food, nourishment	Pseudohypertrophy
tympan(o)-	eardrum	Greek τῠ́μπᾰνον (túmpanon), drum, eardrum	Tympanocentesis, Tensor tympani
ventr(o)-	of or pertaining to the belly, the stomach cavities	Latin venter, belly, stomach, womb	ventrodorsal
-version	turning	Latin versiō	anteversion, retroversion
vesic(o)-	of or pertaining to the bladder	Latin vēsīca, bladder, blister	vesical arteries
ze-	boil	Greek ζέω (zéō), to boil, seethe, bubble	eczema

References

^ "Introduction to Medical Terminology - AAPC". www.aapc.com. Archived from the original on 2022-05-23. Retrieved 2022-04-06.
^ This article incorporates text available under the CC BY 4.0 license. Betts, J Gordon; Desaix, Peter; Johnson, Eddie; Johnson, Jody E; Korol, Oksana; Kruse, Dean; Poe, Brandon; Wise, James; Womble, Mark D; Young, Kelly A (February 26, 2016). Anatomy & Physiology. Houston: OpenStax CNX. 1.6. Anatomical Terminology. ISBN 978-1-93-816813-0. ID: 14fb4ad7-39a1-4eee-ab6e-3ef2482e3e22@8.24. Archived from the original on March 16, 2018. Retrieved May 19, 2018.
^ Betts, J Gordon; Desaix, Peter; Johnson, Eddie; Johnson, Jody E; Korol, Oksana; Kruse, Dean; Poe, Brandon; Wise, James; Womble, Mark D; Young, Kelly A (October 3, 2013). Anatomy & Physiology. Houston: OpenStax CNX. 1.6. Anatomical Terminology. ISBN 978-1-93-816813-0. ID: 14fb4ad7-39a1-4eee-ab6e-3ef2482e3e22@6.11. Archived from the original on January 9, 2014. Retrieved November 16, 2013.
^ Open Resources for Nursing (Open RN) (2024). Ernstmeyer, Kimberly; Christman, Elizabeth (eds.). Medical Terminology. Open RN OER Textbooks (2nd ed.). Eau Claire (WI): Chippewa Valley Technical College. ISBN 978-1-957068-06-0. PMID 39356802.
^ κάρυον. Liddell, Henry George; Scott, Robert; A Greek–English Lexicon at the Perseus Project
^ κέρας in Liddell and Scott
^ κινέω in Liddell and Scott
^ κοῖλος in Liddell and Scott
^ κύπτω in Liddell and Scott
^ "opistho-". dictionary.com
^ The Language of Medicine 11th Edition, Davi-Ellen Chabner
^ Stanfield, Peggy S.; Hui, Y. H.; Cross, Nanna (30 September 2013). Essential Medical Terminology. Jones & Bartlett Learning. ISBN 978-1-284-03878-1.

[1] "Introduction to Medical Terminology - AAPC". www.aapc.com. Archived from the original on 2022-05-23. Retrieved 2022-04-06.

[Openstax_Anatomy_&_Physiology_attribution-2] This article incorporates text available under the CC BY 4.0 license. Betts, J Gordon; Desaix, Peter; Johnson, Eddie; Johnson, Jody E; Korol, Oksana; Kruse, Dean; Poe, Brandon; Wise, James; Womble, Mark D; Young, Kelly A (February 26, 2016). Anatomy & Physiology. Houston: OpenStax CNX. 1.6. Anatomical Terminology. ISBN 978-1-93-816813-0. ID: 14fb4ad7-39a1-4eee-ab6e-3ef2482e3e22@8.24. Archived from the original on March 16, 2018. Retrieved May 19, 2018.

[Openstax_Anatomy_&_Physiology-3] Betts, J Gordon; Desaix, Peter; Johnson, Eddie; Johnson, Jody E; Korol, Oksana; Kruse, Dean; Poe, Brandon; Wise, James; Womble, Mark D; Young, Kelly A (October 3, 2013). Anatomy & Physiology. Houston: OpenStax CNX. 1.6. Anatomical Terminology. ISBN 978-1-93-816813-0. ID: 14fb4ad7-39a1-4eee-ab6e-3ef2482e3e22@6.11. Archived from the original on January 9, 2014. Retrieved November 16, 2013.

[4] Open Resources for Nursing (Open RN) (2024). Ernstmeyer, Kimberly; Christman, Elizabeth (eds.). Medical Terminology. Open RN OER Textbooks (2nd ed.). Eau Claire (WI): Chippewa Valley Technical College. ISBN 978-1-957068-06-0. PMID 39356802.

[5] κάρυον. Liddell, Henry George; Scott, Robert; A Greek–English Lexicon at the Perseus Project

[6] κέρας in Liddell and Scott

[7] κινέω in Liddell and Scott

[8] κοῖλος in Liddell and Scott

[9] κύπτω in Liddell and Scott

[10] "opistho-". dictionary.com

[11] The Language of Medicine 11th Edition, Davi-Ellen Chabner

[12] Stanfield, Peggy S.; Hui, Y. H.; Cross, Nanna (30 September 2013). Essential Medical Terminology. Jones & Bartlett Learning. ISBN 978-1-284-03878-1.

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