From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This is a list of medical roots containing prefixes, suffixes, and root words used in medicine.
[edit] Prefixes
| Prefix |
Origin language |
Origin word |
Origin meaning |
Meaning |
Example(s) |
| a- |
Ancient Greek |
|
|
None |
Acardia |
| allo- |
|
|
|
Different |
Alloantigen, allopathy |
| ankyl- |
|
|
|
Bent, crooked |
Ankylosis |
| ambi- |
|
|
|
Both |
Ambidextrous |
| aniso- |
|
|
|
Unequal |
Anisotropic |
| ante- |
|
|
|
In front |
Antepartum |
| anti- |
|
|
|
Against |
Antibody, antigen |
| brachy- |
|
|
|
Short |
Brachycephalic |
| brady- |
|
|
|
Slow |
Bradycardia |
| chlor- |
|
|
|
Green color |
Chlorophyll |
| circum- |
|
|
|
Around |
Circumcision |
| cirrh- |
|
|
|
Yellow color |
Cirrhosis |
| contra- |
|
|
|
Against |
Contraception |
| cyan- |
|
|
|
Blue color |
Cyanopsia |
| dia- |
|
|
|
Through |
Dialysis |
| dis- |
|
|
|
Apart |
Dissection |
| dors- |
|
|
|
Back |
Dorsocephalad |
| endo- |
|
|
|
Internal to the body |
Endocrinology |
| epi- |
|
|
|
Upon |
Epidermis |
| erythr- |
|
|
|
Red color |
Erythrocyte |
| exo- |
|
|
|
External to the body |
Exoskeleton |
| glau- |
|
|
|
Grey color |
Glaucoma |
| hetero- |
|
|
|
Different |
Heterosexual, heterogeneous |
| homo- |
|
|
|
Same |
Homosexual, homeostasis |
| hyper- |
|
|
|
Above, over |
Hyperhydration, hyperthermia |
| hypo- |
|
|
|
Below, underneath |
Hypodermic, hypothyroidism |
| in- |
|
|
|
In |
Inhale, infusion |
| isch- |
|
|
|
Restriction of |
Ischemia |
| iso- |
|
|
|
Equal |
Isotonic |
| kyph- |
|
|
|
Bent, crooked, "hunchback" |
Kyphosis |
| later- |
|
|
|
Side |
Laterotorsion |
| leuk- |
|
|
|
White color |
Leukocyte |
| melan- |
|
|
|
Black color |
Melanin |
| micro- |
|
|
|
Small |
Microbiology, microscope |
| oligo- |
|
|
|
Few, under |
Oligotrophy |
| ortho- |
|
|
|
Straight, normal |
Orthodontist |
| pan- |
|
|
|
All |
Pananxiety |
| peri- |
|
|
|
Around |
Periodontal |
| poly- |
|
|
|
Many, excess |
Polymyositis |
| post- |
|
|
|
Before, after |
Postoperative nausea and vomiting |
| prim- |
|
|
|
First |
Primigravia |
| pro- |
|
|
|
In front |
Procephalic |
| prot- |
|
|
|
First |
Protoneuron |
| re- |
|
|
|
Again |
Rehydration, resuscitation |
| schiz- |
|
|
|
Split |
Schizophrenia |
| sten- |
|
|
|
Narrow |
Stenosis |
| tachy- |
|
|
|
Fast |
Tachycardia |
| trans- |
|
|
|
Through |
Transfusion |
[edit] Suffixes
| Suffix |
Origin language |
Origin word |
Origin meaning |
Meaning |
Example(s) |
| -ectomy |
Ancient Greek |
ἐκτομη (ectomē) |
incision |
removal |
Mastectomy, vasectomy |
| -gen |
Ancient Greek |
-γενης (genēs) |
one producing |
Producing |
Carcinogen, methanogen |
| -graph |
Ancient Greek |
γραφη (graphē) |
picture, drawing, writing |
instrument for recording |
Cardiograph, plethysmograph |
| -logist |
Ancient Greek |
λογιστηες (logistēs) |
one who pracices, studies |
one who pracices, studies |
Oncologist, pathologist |
| -logy |
Ancient Greek |
λογoς (logos) |
a study, practice |
a study |
hematology, urology| |
| -pathy |
Ancient Greek |
παθος (pathos) |
disease |
disease of |
sociopathy, neuropathy |
| Root |
Origin language |
Origin word |
Origin meaning |
Meaning |
Example(s) |
| amyl- |
|
|
|
Starch |
Amylolysis |
