a-, an-, ana-

without, absence of, not

ab-

away from

acro-

extremity, tip, end, peak, topmost; extreme

ad-

toward, near, adjacent to or in the direction of the body part referred to by the root

aden/o

gland

adip/o-

related to fat

adren/o-

relating to the adrenal gland

-agogue

indicates a stimulant

-agra

indicates an attack of acute pain

-al

about, related to, pertaining to

algesi/o

sensitivity to pain

-algia

pain

allo-

"other" different than the usual or normal

ambly-

denotes dullness or dimness

amnio-

related to the sac enclosing the developing embryo

amphi-

both sides, surrounding, double

ana-

up, toward, apart

andr/o-

masculine, pertaining to the male species

angi/o

vessel (blood vessel)

anis/o-

unequal, dissimilar

ankyl/o

bent, crooked, stiff or fixed

ante-

before

anti-

against

apico-

relating to any apex

arteri/o

artery

arthr/o

denotes a joint or articulation

-asthenia

weakness

atrio-

relating to the atrium

audio-

relating to hearing

auri-

relating to the ear

auto-

self

bary-

meaning heavy

bi-

twice, meaning twice or double

bili-

relating to bile

bio

denoting life

-blast

indicating an immature precursor cell or the type indicated by the root

blasto-

used in terms of pertaining to the process of budding by cells or tissue

brachio-

meaning arm or radial

brachy-

short

brady-

slow

bronch-, bronchi-, broncho-

relating to the bronchus

bucco-

combing form relating to the cheek

carcin/o

cancer

carp/o

wrist

cardi/o

heart

cata-

combing form meaning down

celio-

relating to the abdomen

-centesis

puncture (surgical)

cephal/o-

relating to the head

-ceptor

meaning taker or receiver

cervico-

relating to the cervix, or the neck in any sense

chir-, chiro-

relating to the hand

chol-, chole-, cholo-

related to bile

cholecyst-

related to the gallbladder

chord-, cord-

cord

chrom-, chromat-, chromato-, chromo-

color

-cide

cut, kill

circum-

around

colo

colon (the large intestine)

colp/o

vagina

contra-

against

core-, coreo-

relating to the pupil

cost/o

rib

-crine

separate

crane/o

skull

cyan/o

blue

cyst-, cysti-, cysto- (cist-, cisti-, cisto-)

relating to the bladder, the cystic duct, or a cyst

cyt-, cyto

cell

ce-

from; down; away

dent/o, dont/o

tooth

derm/o, dermat/o

skin

dextr-, dextro-

right, toward or on the right side

dia-

through, throughout, completely

diplo-

meaning double or twofold

dis-

separation, breaking in two, taking apart

ect-, ecto-

denoting outer, on the outside

-ectomy

removal (surgery)

electr/o

electricity

embry-, embryo-

relating to the embryo

-emesis

vomiting

-emia

blood

en-/endo-

in, inside

encephal-, encephalo-

indicating the brain, or a relationship to the brain

ent-, ento-

inner, within

enter/o

intestine

epi-

over, upon

episio-

relating to the vulva

-er

one who does (a specified thing)

erythr-, erythro-

red

-esis

condition, action or process

esophag/o

food pipe, esophagus

esthesi/o

sensation

etio-

cause

eu-

good, well, often in the sense of normal

ex-/exo-/extra

out, outside,

facio-

relating to the face

fibr/o

fiber

-form

in the shape or form of

-fugal

denotes movement away from the part indicated by the main part of the word

gastr/o

stomach

-genic

origin

gero-, gernont-, geronto-

denoting old age

gingiv/o

gums

gloss/o

tongue

gluco-

relating to glucose

glyc/o

sugar

-gnos

knowledge, knowing, able to learn

gonio-

meaning angle

-gram

a record

-graph

something written, or an instrument for writing or recording something

-graphy

practice of recording

gravida

usually refers to the number of pregnancies a woman has had

gynec/o

female

hem/o, hemat/o

blood

hemi-

half

hepat/o

liver

heter-

other or different

hidr- hidro-

relating to sweat or sweat glands

histio-, histo-

relating to tissue

holo-

denoting entirety or a relationship to the whole

homeo-

meaning alike

homo-

meaning the same or alike

hydro-, hydro-

water, or relating to water

hyper-

excessive

hypn-, hypno-

relating to sleep or hypnosis

hypo-

less than normal

Hyster/o-

relating to the uterus

-ia

condition

-iasis

denoting a condition or state, particularly a morbid one

-iatrics/iatry

discipline of medicine

-ic

about, related to, pertaining to

-ictero-

relating to jaundice

infra-

denoting a position below the part of the word to which it is joined

inter-

between

intra-

inside

intro-

in or inside

ipse/ipsi

same, self

irid-, irido

relating to the iris

-ism

state, condition, action, doctrine

iso-

the same

-ist

person who adheres to a particular doctrine of practice

-itis

inflammation

kerat-, kerato-

relating to the cornea, or the cornea cells

kinesi-, kinesio-, kineso-, kineto-

relating to movement

lact-, lacti-, lacto-

relating to milk

lapar/o

abdomen

laryng/o

relating to the larynx

latero-

relating to the side

leio-

smooth

-lepsis, -lepsy

seizure, attack

leuk/o

white

levo-

left, on or toward the left side

-lexis, -lexy

related to speech

lip-, lipo-

fatty, lipid

lith/o

relating to stone, calculus or calcification

log/o-

relating to speech or words

-logy

study of

-logist

person who studies…

lymph/o-

related to lymph

lymphangi-, lymphangio-

related to the lymphatic vessels

-lysis

loosening, dissolving, dissolution

mac-, macro-

large or long

mal-

poor, bad

mamm/o-, mast/o-, mazo-

relating to the breast

mega-, megal-, megalo-,

large

mel-, melo-

relating to the extremities (limbs) or cheek

melan-, melano-

black, very dark

mening/o

membrane

ment

mind

mes-, meso-

middle, mean, or used to denote and intermediate position

meta-

change; beyond, over; after

metr/a, metr/o

uterus

-metry

measuring

micro-

small

mio-

less

morph/o

denoting form or structure

muci-, muco-

relating to mucous

multi-

many, several

myco-

relating to fungus

myel-, myelo-

relating to bone marrow

myo-

relating to the muscles

myring-, myringo-

relating to the tympanic membrane

myx-, myxo-

related to mucous

nacro-

denoting stupor or narcosis

narc/o

sleep

nas/o

nose

necr/o

relating to death, or necrosis

neo-

new

nephr/o

relating to the kidneys

neur/o

nerve

noci-,

related to pain, hurt or injury

norm/o-

meaning normal or usual

nos/o-

relating to disease

ocul/o

eye

odyn/o

meaning pain

-oid

similar, resembling, like

olig/o

denoting few or little

-oma

swelling; tumor

omo-

relating to the shoulder

onc/o

mass, tumor

oophor/o-

relating to the ovaries

opthalm/o-

relating to the eyes

-opia

relating to vision

opistho-

denoting backward, behind, dorsal

orchi-, orchido-, orchio-

relating to the testicles

ortho-

straight

-ose

sugar

-osis

condition; increase in

osseo-

denoting bone

oste/o

bone

-ostomy

creation of an artificial opening through surgery

ot/o

ear

-ous

quality, state

ovi-, ovo-

indicating egg

pachy-

used to form words that mean thick

palat/o

meaning palate

par/o

give birth

para-

near; similar

parieto-

denoting relationship to walls

path/o

suffering from

-pathy

disease

ped/o

child

pelvi-, pelvio-, pelvo-

relating to the pelvis

-penia

used to denote deficiency

peri-

surrounding, around

pero-

meaning maimed or malformed

-petal

suffix denoting movement toward the part indicated by the main part of the word

phago-

meaning to eat or devour

phall-, phallo-, phalio

denoting the penis

pharmac/o

drugs

pharyng/o

throat, pharynx

phen-, pheno-

denoting appearance

phil-, phile-, philia, philio-

denoting an affinity or longing for something

-philia

love for, friendliness fondness for

phleb/o

vein

phon/o-,

indicating sound, speech, voice

-phrenia

denoting the diaphragm or the mind

physi/o

meaning physical or natural

plan-, plani-, plano-

relating to a plane, meaning flat, or level

-plasia

formation, development

plasma-, plasmat-, plasmato-, plasmo-

indicating a relation to the plasma (the liquid part of the blood and lymphatic fluid)

-plasty

repair through surgery

platy-

indicating width, flatness

-plegia

indicating paralysis

pleo-

denoting more

plesio-

indicating closeness or similarity

pleur/o,

rib, side

pneum-, pneuma-, peneumat-, pneumono-

indicating the presence of air, gas, the lungs or breathing

pneumo-, pneumon-, pneumono-

indicating the lungs, air, gas, breathing or pneumonia

pod/o

foot

poly-

many

por-, poro-

indicating a pore, duct or opening; a going or passing through; a callous or induration

post-

after

pre-

before

pro-

for, before

proct/o

indicating the anus, or more commonly the rectum

prot-, proteo-

denoting protein

pseudo-

false

psych/o

mind

-ptosis

indicating a downward displacement or falling of an organ

pub/o-

relating to pubis or pubic

pulmon/o

lung

pyel-, pyelo-,

indicating the pelvis, usually the renal pelvis

pyo-

denoting supporation or the accumulation of pus

pyreto-

indication fever

quadri-

four

rect/o

rectum

ren/o (or nephr/o)

kidney

retro-

back, behind, pulling backward

rhin/o

nose

-rraghia

abnormal/excessive flow

-rrhea

flow, discharge

salping/o

a denoting a tube, usually the fallopian or Eustachian tube

sangui-, sanguin-, sanguino-

denoting blood, or bleeding

scato-

denoting fecal matter

schiz- schizo-

indicating division, break, or crack

scler-, sclero-

denotes hardness (induration),

-scope

instrument for examining

-scopy

examining by instrument

scoto-

denoting darkness

seb-, sebi-, sebo-

denoting sebum (a substance that keeps skin and hair moisturized), sebaceous

sider/o

denoting iron

som/a, somat/o

body

sperma-, spermato-, spermo-

denoting semen or spermatazoids

spin-, spino-

indicating the spinal column

spir/o

denoting spiral, or spiral shaped

spir-, sprio-

denoting respiration

splen/o

relating to spleen

spondyl-, spondylo-

denoting the vertebrae

-stasis

motionlessness; state of balance

stenosis

narrowing

steth/o

chest

stom-, stomat-, stomato-

indicating the mouth

sub-

below, beneath

syring-, syringo-

denoting a syrinx (tube)

tachy-

fast

teno-, tenon-, tenot-, tenonto-

relating to the tendons

tetan-, tetano-

relating to tetanus

thanat/o

relating to death

thel-, thelo-

relating to the nipple

-thermy

heat

thromb/o

clot

thyr-, thyro-

relating to the thyroid gland

-tion

used to form nouns from verbs or from a condition, state or action

toc-

meaning childbirth

-tomy

indicates a cutting operation

trachel/o

denoting the neck

trans-

across, through

traum-, traumato-

denoting a wound or injury

-trophy

nutrition; development

uni-

meaning one

ure-, urea-, ureo-, urin/o

denoting urine

varico-

denoting varix, or varicosity

vas-, vasculo-

denoting a blood vessel

ven/o

vein

vitreo-

denoting vitreous

vivi-

denoting alive, living