Definitions
Prefix Appears at the beginning of a word and tells the how,
why, where, when, how much, how many, position,
difection, time, or status.
Root Word Specifies the body part to which the term refers.
Suffix Appears at the end of a word and indicated a procedure,
condition, or disease.
Eponym A term named after someone
Acronym Modern language terms that stand for longer phrases
such as laser, which stands for “light amplification by
stimulated emission of radiation.”
Exterior Root Words
Acr/o Extremeties
Amb/i Both sides/ double
Anter/o Front
Aut/o Self
Axill/o Armpit, axilla
Blephar/o Eyelid or Eyelash
Brachi/o Arm
Bucc/o Cheek (Facial)
Canth/o Angle formed where eyelids meet
Capit/o Head
Carp/o Wrist
Caud/o Tail/ downward
Cephal/o Head
Cervic/o Neck or cervix (neck of uterus)
Cheil/o, Chil/o Lip
Cheir/o, Chir/o Hand
Cili/o Eyelash or eyelid, or small hairlike processes
Cor/e, cor/o Pupil of the eye
Crani/o Skull
Cubit/o Elbow
Dactyl/o Fingers or Toes
Derm/a, Derm/o, Dermat/o Skin
Dors/i, Dors/o Back or Posterior
Faci/o Face
Gingiv/o Gums in mouth
Gloss/o Tongue
Gnath/o Jaws
Inguin/o Groin
Irid/o Iris of the eye
Labi/o Lips
Lapar/o Abdomen, loin, or flank
Later/o Side
Lingu/o Tongue
Mamm/a, Mamm/o Breast
Mast/o Breast
Nas/o Nose
Occipit/o Back of the head
Ocul/o Eye
Odont/o Teeth
Omphal/o Umbilicus
Onych/o Nails
Ophthalm/o, ocul/o Eyes
Optic/o, opt/o Seeing, sight
Or/o Mouth
Ot/o Ear
Papill/o Nipple
Pelv/o, Pelv/i Pelvis
Phall/o Penis
Pil/o Hair
Pod/o Foot
Rhin/o Nose
Somat/o Body
Steth/o Chest
Stomat/o Mouth
Tal/o Ankle
Tars/o Foot
Thorac/o Chest/ Thorax
Trachel/o Neck or Necklike
Trich/o Hair or Hairlike
Ventr/i, Ventr/o Front of Body
Hard Root Words
Anti-, Contra- Against
Dys-, Mal- Bad or Painful
Hyper-, Supra-, and epi- Above
Hypo-, Sub-, and Infra- Below
Intra-, endo- Within
Ab- Away from
Ad- Toward
Ante-, Pre-, Pro- Before
Post- After
Macro- Large
Micro- Small
Tachy- Fast
Brady- Slow
Hyper- Excessive
Hypo- Deficient
Interior Root Words
Abdomin/o Abdomen
Acanth/o Spiny or thorny
Acetabul/o Acetabulum
Acromi/o Acromium
Aden/o Gland
Adip/o Fat
Adren/o Adrenal gland
Alveoli/o Air sac
Angi/o Vessel
An/o Anus
Aort/o Aorta
Arteri/o, arter/o Artery
Arteriol/o Arteriole
Aspir/o To breathe in
Ather/o Plaque, fat
Athr/o, articul/o Joint
Atri/o Atrium
Audi/o, Aur/i Hearing
Balan/o Glans penis
Bio- Life
Bronch/i, Bronch/o Bronchus
Bronchiol/o, Bronchiol/i Bronchiole
Carcin/o Cancer
Cardi/o Heart
Cellul/o Cejj
Cerebell/o Cerebellum
Cerebr/i, cerebr/o Cerebrum
Cholangi/o Bile duct
Chol/e Bile
Cholecyst/o Gallbladder
Choledoch/o Common bile duct
Chondr/i, Chondr/o Cartilage
Chrom/o, Cromat/o Color
Col/o, Colon/o Colon
Colp/o Vagina
Cost/o Rib
Cry/o Cold
Crypt/o Hidden
Cutane/o Skin
Cyan/o Blue
Cysti, cyst/o Bladder or cyst
Cyt/o Cell
Dipl/o Double, twice
Duoden/o Duodenum
Encephal/o Brain
Enter/o Intestine
Episi/o Vulva
Erythr/o Red
Esophag/o Esophagus
Fibr/o Fibers
Galact/o Milk
Gastr/o Stomach
Glyc/o Sugar
Gynec/o Female
Hemat/o, Hem/o Blood
Hepat/o, Hepatic/o Liver
Heter/o Other, different
Hidr/o Sweat
Hist/o, histi/o Tissue
Hom/o, home/o Same, alike
Hydr/o Water, wet
Hyster/o Uterus
Latr/o Treatment
Lle/o Lleum (intestine)
Lli/o Llium (pelvic bone)
Intestin/o INtestine
Jejun/o Jejunum
Kerat/o Cornia of eye, horny tissue
Lacrima Tears
Laryng/o Larynx
Leuk/o White
Lipid/o Fat
Lith/o Stone (in gallbladder or kidney)
Lumph/o Lymph vessels
Melan/o Black
Men/o Menses, menstruation
Mening/o meninges
Metr/a, Metr/o Uterus
My/o Muscles
Myel/o Bone marrow or spinal cord
Myring/o Eardrum
Nat/o Birth
Necr/o Death
Nephr/o Kidney
Neur/o Nerve
oophor/o Ovary
Orchid/o, orchi/o Testis
Oss/eo, oss/i, ost/e, ost/eo Bone
Palat/o Roof of mouth
Path/o Disease
Peritone/o Peritoneum
Pharmac/o Drug
Pharyng/o Pharynx
Phleb/o Vein
Phren/o Diaphragm
Pleur/o Pleura, rib (side)
Pneum/a, pneum/o Lungs
Pneum/ato, pneum/ono Lungs
poli/o Gray matter of the nervous system
proct/o Rectum, anus
Pulmon/o Lungs
Py/o Pus
Pyel/o Pelvis of kidney
Rect/o Rectum
Ren/i, ren/o Kidney
Sacr/o Sacrum
Salping/o Fallopian Tube
Sarc/o Flesh
Scapul/o Scapula
Sept/o Infection
Splen/o Spleen
Spondyl/o Vertebra
Stern/o Sternum
Tend/o, ten/o, tendin/o tendon
Testicul/o Testis
Therm/o Heat
Thorac/o Chest
Thym/o Thymus
Thyr/o Thyroid gland
Thyroid/o Thyroid gland
Tonsill/o Tonsils
Trache/o Trachea
Tympan/o Eardrum
Ur/e, Ur/ea, ur/eo, urin/o, ur/o Urine
Ureter/o Ureter
Urethr/o Urethra
Uter/o Uterus
Vas/o Vas deferens
Vaso/o, ven/o, ven/i Vein
vesic/o Bladder
viscer/o Viscera (internal organs)
xanth/o Red, redness
xer/o Dry
Important Prefixes
A-, an- Lack of, without, not
Ante- Before, in front of, or foreward
Anti- Opposing or against
Bi- Double, two, twice, both
Co-, con-, com- Together or with
De- Down, or from
di- Twice or two
Extra-, extro- Beyond, outside of, or outward
Hemi-, semi- Half, half of
Hyper- Above, excessive, beyond
Hyp-, hypo- Below, beneath, deficient
Infra- Below or beneath
Inter- between
Intra- Within, inside
Intro- Into, or within
Macro- large
Micro-, micr- Tiny, small
Post- After, or following, behind
Pre-, pro- In front of, before, preceding
Retro- Behind, backward
Semi- half
Trans- Through or across
Tri- three
Ultra- Excessive, beyond
Important Suffixes
-ac, -ic, -al, -ous, -tic Related to, or pertaining to
-ate, -ize Subject to, use
-ent, -er, -ist Person, agent
-genic Produced by
-gram A written record
-graph Instrument used to record
-graphy Process of recording
-ism Condition or theory
-itis inflammation
-ologist One who studies, specialist
-ology Study of, process of study
-oma tumor
-pathy Disease, disease process
-phobia Morbid fear of or intolerance
-scope Instrument sed to visually examine
scopy Process of visual examination
Medical Antonyms
Ab- Moving away from (abduction)
Ad- Drawing toward (adduction)
Anterior- front
Posterior- back
Bio- life
Necro- death
Brady- slow
Tachy- fast
Cephalo- Head (upward)
Caudo- Tail (downward)
Endo- Within, inside
Exo- outside
Eu- Normal, well
Dys- Difficult, unwell
Hyper- Above or excessive
Hypo- Below or deficient
Leuko- white
Melano- black
Pre- Before or in front of
Post- After or behind
Proximal- Near (in proximity)
Distal- Away from (in distance)
Superior- above
Inferior- below
Common Medical Acronyms
AMA American Medical Association
AMA Against medical advice
CAT Computerized axial tomography (scan)
CAT Children’s apperception test
COPD Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
COPE Chronic obstructive pulmonary emphysema
ECT Electroconvulsive therapy (shock therapy)
ECT Enteric-coated tablet
ECT Euglobulin clot test
MRI Magnetic resonance imaging
MRI Medical Research Institute
MRI Medical records information
Common Medical Eponyms
Apgar score Named after Virginia Apgar, an American
anesthesiologist. A numbring expressing the condition
of a newborn infant at 1 minute of age and again at 5
minutes.
Alzheimer’s disease Named for Alois Alzheimer, a German neurologist. A
progressive degenerative disease of the brain.
Cushing’s syndrome Named for Harvey Williams Cushing, an American
surgeon. A complex of symptoms caused by
hyperactivity of the adrenal cortex.
Down syndrome Named after the John Haydon Down, an English pysician