You will find in these lists, several prefixes, suffixes and even root words which mean the same thing. That's one of the quirks of medicalese...it came from different languages, primarily Greek and Latin..and others. These languages remain represented in medical jargon..its just a case of knowing the 2 or 3 terms for the same thing..it does become familiar after a time.....and well...now you have a list to refer to.

For example one often seen word in medical descriptions is Hypertrophy. Split it into Hyper and Trophy and from the list you can see it simply means Hyper - Excessive or too much of and Trophy - Growth. So "Too much growth of" ..or in plainer terms..an enlargement from the normal..See? Easy now....Have fun!

WORD ROOT

ADEN - gland
ANGIO - Vessel (blood)
ARTHO - Joint
ARTERIO - Artery
BIO - Life
BRACHIO - Arm
BUCCHAL - Cheek
CARCIN - Cancer
CARDI - Heart
CARPO - Wrist
CEPHALO - Relating to the head
CEREBRO - Cerebral, cerebrum, brain
CERVIC - Neck
CHIRO - Hand
CHOLE - Bile
CHOLECYST - Gallbladder
CHONDRO - Cartilage
COL - Colon
COLP - Vagina
COSTO - Rib
COXA - Hip
CRANIO - Relating to the skull
CUBITUS - Elbow or Forearm
CUT - Skin
CYSTO - Bladder, sac
CYT or CYTE - Cell
DENT - Tooth
DERMA - Skin
EDEM - Swelling, fluid
ENCEPHALO - The brain (combining form)
ENTERO - Intestines
FACI - Face, to do with the face
FASCI - Fibrous band
GASTRO - The stomach
GENU - Knee
GINGIVA - Gums
GLOSS - Tongue
GRAVID - Pregnant
GYNE - Woman
HEM, HEMAT, HAEMO - Blood
HEPATO - Liver
HYDRA - Hydro, water
HYSTER - Uterus, womb
KERAT - Cornea, hardened
LABIA - Lip
LACTO - Milk
LAPAR - Abdomen
LARYNG - Larnyx (voice box)
LINGUA - Tongue (or flap structure)
LIP - Fat
LITH - Stone
LYMPH - Fluid
MAMM, MAST - Breast
MENING - Membrane
MENS, MENO - Menstruate
METRO - Uterus, Womb
MYELO - Spinal Cord
MYO - Muscle
MYX - Mucus
NARES, NAS - Nose or Nostril
NATUS - Birth
NEPHRO - Kidney
NEURO - Nerve
OCUL - Eye
ODONT - Tooth
ONYCH - Finger or Toe nail
OOPHORO - Ovary
OPHTHLA - Eye
ORCHID - Testes
OSTEO - Bone
OTO - Hearing, Ear
OVARIO - Ovary
OVI - Egg
PATHO - Relating to disease, abnormal function
PED, POD - Foot
PHARYNG - Pharnyx
PHLEBO - Vein
PHRENIC - Diaphragm
PLEUR - Pleura of lung (wrapping of lung)
PNEUMO - Lung
PROCTO - Rectum
PSYCHO - Mind, Soul
PULM - Lung
PYELO - Bowl of Kidney
PYO - Pus
REN - Kidney
RHIN - Nose
SALPINGO - Tube
SEMIN - Seed
SEPTIC, TOXIC - Poison
SIAL - Saliva
SPONDYL - Vertebra
SOMA - Body
SPLEN - Spleen
SPONDYL - Spine
STOMA - Mouth
SYNDES - Ligaments (and by extension, the joints)
TENO - Tendon
THEL - Nipple
THORAC - Thorax, Chest, Middle body
THROMBO - Clot
TRACHE - Trachea
TRACHEL - Neck
VAS - Vessel
VESIC - Sac, Bladder
VISCERA - Organ

PREFIXES

A or AN - Absence of, without
ANA - Back again
AB - away from
AD - To, near, toward
AMBI - Both
AMYL - Starch
ANTE - Before
ANTI - Against
APO - away, move away
ASTHEN - Weakness
AUD, AUR - Ear
BAR - Weight
BI or DI - Two
BRADY - Slow
CATA - Down from or less
CAUD - tail
CIRCUM - Around
CON - with, together
CONTR - against
CORT - covering
DE - away from
DIA - Through
DIPLO - Two
DIS - The opposite of
DURA - Hard
DYS - Difficult, painful
EC or EX - Without, Out of
ECTO - Outside of
EN - Within
ENDO - Within
EPI - On, upon
ERYTHRO - Red
EXTR - Outside of
HEMI - Half
HYPER - Above, excessive
HYPO - Below
IN - No, or without
INFRE - Below or under
INTER - Between
INTRA - Within
LEUKO - White
MACRO - Large
MALACO - Soft
MAL - Bad, poor
MED - Middle
MELAN - Black
MESO - Middle
META - Beyond
MICRO - Small
MONO - One
NEO - New
ORTHO - Straight
PAED, PEDI - Child
PAN - All
PARA - Two, (lower extremities), beside
PART - Birth, labour
PERI - Around
PER - Through
PIA - soft
POLY - Many
POST - After, behind
PRE or PRO - Before, forward
PSEUDO - False
QUAD - Four, quadri (the extremities)
RE - Back Again
RETRO - Backward
SCLERO - Hard
SQUAM - Scaly, flat layers
STRIC - Narrowing
SYN - with, together
SUB - Under, below
SUPRA or SUPER- Above
TACHY - Rapid
THERM - Heat
TRANS - Across
ULTRA - Beyond

 

SUFFIXES

ALGIA - Pain
ASIS - Condition, state
ASTHENIA - Weakness
CELE - Swelling
CENTESIS - Puncture
CRINE - Secrete within
DACTYL - Finger or Toe
DESIS - Surgical Fixation
DUCT - Opening
DYNIA - Pain
ECTASIS - Enlargement
ECTOMY - Excision, surgically cutting out
EMIA - Blood, or its components
ESTHESIA - Feeling, sensation
GENIC - Causing, source or origin
GRAM or GRAPH - Picture
ITIS - Inflammation
LYSIS - Reduction, destruction or separation
MALACIA - Softening
MEGALY - Enlargement
OID - Like or similar
OLOGY - Science of, study of
OLYSIS - Breakdown
OMA - Tumour
OSCOPY - To view
OSIS - Disease or Condition
OSTOMY - Surgical Opening
OTOMY - Incision
PATHY - Disease
PENIA - Insufficiency
PEXY - Fixation in the tissue
PHAGIA - Swallow
PHASIA - Speech disorder
PHOBIA - Fear
PHRENIA - Mental disorder
PHYSIS - Physical growth
PLASTY - Plastic surgery
PLEGIA - Paralysis
PNEA - Breathing
PTOSIS - Dropping down (like an eyelid)
RRHAGIA - Hemorrhage
RRAPHY - Suture or stitch
RRHEA - Flowing
SARCOMA - Tumour
SCLEROSIS - Hardening
SCOPE - Picture or inspection
SPASM - Contraction
STASIS - Stoppage
THERMY - Heat, use of
TRIPSY - Crushing
TROPHY - Growth
ULATION - Act of
URIA - Urine

 

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