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Medical terminology dictionary
Introduction
At first glance, medical terminology can seem like a foreign language. But often the key to understanding medical terms is focusing on their components (prefixes, roots and suffices).
Knowing the meaning of a small number of components can help with interpretation of a large number of medical terms.
Fundamental Elements of a Medical Word
Parts of a medical word
Suffix: last part of a word
Prefix: first part of a word
Root: main part of a word
Example 1: sub/cutane/ous means pertaining to under the skin.
-ous is the suffix meaning "pertaining to"
sub- is the prefix meaning "under"
cutane/o is the root meaning "skin
Example 2 : electro/cardio/gram means record of the electrical activity of the heart.
-gram is the suffix meaning "record"
electr/o is the root meaning "electric"
cardi/o is the root meaning "heart"
Listing of Commonly Used Medical Terms, Prefixes, Roots and Suffices
| a- |
no, lack of, absence of |
| achlorhydria |
lack of hydrochloric acid |
| afebrile |
no fever |
| akinesia |
lack of movement |
| amenorrhoea |
no menstruation |
| acou, acu |
hear |
| aden/o |
gland |
| adenitis |
inflammation of a gland |
| adenocarcinoma |
malignant tumour of glandular tissue |
| adip/o |
fat |
| adipose |
pertaining to fat |
| aer(o)- |
air |
| -algia |
pain |
| andr/o |
male; man |
| ang- |
distress; choke |
| angina |
distress pain |
| angi/o |
vessel |
| angiogram |
record or image of a blood vessel produced by x-rays |
| angioplasty |
a clinical procedure that removes areas of constriction in a blood vessel |
| ankyl/o |
crooked; bent; curved |
| ante- |
before |
| antenatal |
before birth with reference to the fetus |
| anter/o |
front; forward |
| anti- |
against |
| antibiotics |
drugs used to prevent the growth or life of a disease-causing microorganism |
| antiemetics |
drugs used to relieve vomiting |
| arteri(o) |
artery |
| arteriography |
process of producing an x-ray image of an artery following injection of a contrast medium |
| arthr/o |
joint |
| arthritis |
inflammation of a joint |
| -ase |
enzyme |
| amylase |
enzyme that breaks down starch |
| audi/o |
hearing |
| audiometry |
process of measuring a patient’s hearing ability |
| aur/o |
ear |
| audi(o) |
hearing |
| aut(o) |
self |
| autograft |
transplant of tissue from one part of the patient’s body to another |
| bi- |
two |
| bisection |
cutting into two parts |
| bi/o |
life |
| biopsy |
microscopic examination of living tissue for abnormalities |
| -blast |
immature stage; growing thing |
| erythroblast |
immature red blood cell |
| brady- |
slow |
| bucc/o |
cheek |
| buccal cavity |
mouth or oral cavity |
| CABG |
Coronary artery bypass graft |
| carcin(o) |
cancer |
| carcinogenic |
agent that produces cancer |
| cardi/o |
heart |
| cardiologist |
a specialist in the study of heart disease |
| -centesis |
surgical puncture to remove fluid |
| amniocentesis |
a surgical puncture to remove amniotic fluid from the amnion |
| cephal(o) |
head |
| cerebr(o) |
brain |
| chol/e |
bile; gall |
| cholelithiasis |
abnormal condition of gallstone |
| chondr/o |
cartilage |
| chondroblast |
immature cartilage cell |
| cili/o |
hair |
| circum- |
around |
| cis/o |
to cut |
| excision |
surgical removal of an organ or part by cutting |
| incision |
the process of cutting into a structure with a sharp instrument |
| contra- |
opposite; against |
| contraindication |
a term often used in pharmacology to refer to a disease or condition that makes the use of certain drugs harmful to the patient |
| crani/o |
skull |
| -crine |
secrete |
| cyan/o |
blue |
| cyanosis |
abnormal bluish discoloration of the lips, skin and mucous membrane due to the lack of oxygen in the blood |
| -cyte |
cell |
| erythrocyte |
a red blood cell |
| cyt/o |
cell |
| cytology |
study of cells |
| -cytosis |
abnormal increase in the number of cells |
| erythrocytosis |
abnormal increase in the number of red blood cells |
| dent/o |
tooth |
| -derm |
skin |
| dermat/o |
skin |
| di- |
two |
| diplo- |
double |
| diplopia |
double vision |
| -dipsia |
thirst |
| oligodipsia |
diminished thirst |
| dis- |
away from; separation; apart |
| dys- |
pain; painful; difficult |
| -ectomy |
removal by cutting |
| gastretomy |
surgical removal of the stomach |
| -emesis |
vomiting |
| hematemesis |
vomiting of blood |
| -emia |
blood condition |
| anemia |
lack of red blood cells |
| encephal/o |
brain |
| encephalitis |
inflammation of the brain |
| endo- |
within; innermost |
| endocarditis |
inflammation of the inner lining of the heart |
| epi- |
upon; on; above |
| epicardium |
outermost layer of the heart |
| erythr/o |
red |
| eu- |
good |
| euphoria |
an exaggerated feeling of well-being |
| ex- |
out; outside |
| gastr/o |
stomach |
| -genic |
producing |
| carcinogenic |
agent that produces cancer |
| geri-; geront/o |
old age |
| gerontology |
the study of the problems particular to old age |
| glyc/o |
sugar |
| glycolysis |
breakdown of sugar |
| -gram |
record; writing; image |
| -graph |
instrument used for writing or recording |
| -graphy |
process of recording; producing images |
| gynaec/o |
female |
| hemi- |
half |
| hemiplegia |
paralysis of either the right or left half of the body |
| hem/o; hemat/o |
blood |
| hepat/o |
liver |
| heter/o |
another; different |
| hom/o |
same |
| hydr/o |
water |
| hyper- |
excessive; above; beyond |
| hypo- |
below; under; deficient; below normal |
| hyster/o |
uterus |
| intra- |
within |
| intracellular |
within the cell |
| -ion |
process |
| -itis |
inflammation |
| cystitis |
inflammation of the bladder |
| labi/o |
lips |
| later/o |
side |
| lith/o |
stone; calculus |
| lithothripsy |
the crushing of kidney stones or gallstones |
| -lysis |
breakdown; separation |
| lys/o |
dissolution; breakdown |
| macro- |
large |
| medi/o |
middle |
| -megaly |
abnormal enlargement |
| cardiomegaly |
enlarged heart |
| -metry |
measurement |
| craniometry |
process of measuring the skull bones |
| mi/o |
contraction; less |
| miosis |
abnormal contraction of the pupil |
| muc/o |
mucus |
| myc/o |
fungus |
| mycosis |
any disease caused by a fungal infection |
| my/o; myos/o |
muscle |
| nephr/o |
kidney |
| oligo- |
scanty; few |
| oligodipsia |
diminished thirst |
| onc/o |
tumour; selling; mass |
| -opia |
visual condition; vision |
| -opsy |
process of viewing |
| -partum |
delivery; birth |
| path/o |
disease |
| -pathy |
disease process |
| -penia |
deficient; decrease |
| -peri |
around |
| -phagia |
eat; swallow |
| aphagia |
not eating |
| phag/o |
to eat |
| -phasia |
speech |
| dysphasia |
defective speech |
| -phil |
love; affinity |
| phleb/o |
vein |
| -phobia |
fear |
| -physis |
to grow |
| -plasty |
surgical repair; surgical reconstruction |
| -plegia |
paralysis |
| -pnea |
breathing |
| -poly |
many |
| post- |
after |
| pre- |
before |
| pro- |
before; in front of |
| -ptosis |
drooping; sagging |
| blepharoptosis |
drooping of the eyelid due to weakness of eyelid muscle |
| re- |
Back |
| -scopy |
Process of visual examination using a scope |
| semi- |
Half |
| -spasm |
Sudden; involuntary muscle contraction |
| -stenia |
strength |
| sub- |
under; below |
| sym-, syn- |
together; with; joined; in connection with |
| tachy- |
Fast |
| -thermy |
Heat |
| -tomy |
Cutting; incision |
| tri- |
Three |
| -trophy |
nourishment |
| -ule |
small; little |
| vas/o |
Vessel |
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