Medical Terminology: Prefixes,Roots, and Suffixes Commonly Used in Medical Terms (Nursing) Part 2

Prefix/Root

Meaning/Example*

OO-

Egg: oocyte, original cell of egg

OOPHOR-

Ovary: oophorectomy, removal of an ovary

OPHTHALM-

Eye: ophthalmometer, an instrument for measuring the eye

ORTHO-

Straight, normal: orthograde, walk straight (upright)

OSS-

Bone: osseous, bony

OSTE-

Bone: osteitis, inflammation of a bone

OT-

Ear: otorrhea, discharge from ear

OVAR-

Ovary: ovariorrhexis, rupture of an ovary

PARA-

Irregular, around, wrong: paracystic, situated near the bladder

PATH-

Disease: pathology, science of disease

PED-

Children: pediatrician, child specialist

PED-

Feet: pedograph, imprint of the foot

PER-

Through, excessively: percutaneous, through the skin

PERI-

Around, immediately around (in contradistinction to para): periosteum, sheath around bone

PHIL-

Love: hemophilic, fond of blood (as bacteria that grow well in presence of hemoglobin)

PHLEB-

Vein: phlebotomy, opening of vein for bloodletting

PHOB-

Fear: hydrophobic, reluctant to associate with water

PNEUM- or PNEUMON-

Lung (pneum-air): pneumococcus, organism causing lobar pneumonia

POLIO-

Gray: poliomyelitis, inflammation of gray substance of spinal cord

POLY-

Many: polyarthritis, inflammation of several joints

POST-

After: postpartum, after delivery

PRE-

Before: prenatal, occurring before birth

PRO-

Before: prognosis, forecast as to result of disease

PROCT-

Rectum: proctectomy, surgical removal of rectum

PSEUDO-

False: pseudoangina, false angina

PSYCH-

Soul or mind: psychiatry, treatment of mental disorders

PY-

Pus: pyorrhea, discharge of pus

PYEL-

Pelvis: pyelitis, inflammation of pelvis or the kidney

RACH-

Spine: rachicentesis, puncture into vertebral canal

REN-

Kidney: adrenal, near the kidney

RETRO-

Backward: retroversion, turned backward (usually applies to the uterus)

RHIN-

Nose: rhinology, knowledge concerning noses

SALPING-

A tube: salpingitis, inflammation of tube

SEMI-

Half: semilunar, half moon-shaped valve

SEPTIC-

Poison: septicemia, poisoned condition of blood

SOMAT-

Body: psychosomatic, having bodily symptoms of mental origin

STA-

Make stand: stasis, stoppage of flow of fluid, as in blood (hemostasis)

STEN-

Narrow: stenosis, narrowing of duct or canal

SUB-

Under: subdiaphragmatic, under the diaphragm

SUPER-

Above, excessively: superacute, excessively acute

SUPRA-

Above, on: suprarenal, above or on the kidney

SYM- or SYN-

With, together: symphysis, a growing together, as symphysis pubis

TACHY-

Fast: tachycardia, fast-beating heart

TENS-

Stretch: extensor, a muscle extending or stretching a limb

THERM-

Heat: diathermy, therapeutic production of heat in tissues

TOX- or TOXIC-

Poison: toxemia, poisoned condition of blood

TRACHE-

Trachea: tracheitis, inflammation of the trachea

TRANS-

Across: transplant, transfer tissue from one place to another

TRI-

Three: triceps, three-headed muscle

TRICH-

Hair: trichosis, any disease of the hair

UNI-

One: unilateral, affecting one side

VAS-

Vessel: vasoconstrictor, nerve or drug that narrows blood vessel

ZOO-

Animal: zooblast, an animal cell

Suffix

Meaning/Example*

-ALGIA

Pain: cardialgia, pain in the heart

-ASIS or -OSIS

Affected with, condition or state of: leukocytosis, excess number of leukocytes

-ASTHENIA

Weakness: neurasthenia, nerve weakness

-BLAST

Germ: myeloblast, immature bone marrow cell

-CELE

Tumor, hernia: enterocele, any hernia of intestine

-CID

Cut, kill: germicidal, destructive to germs

-CLYSIS

Injection: hypodermoclysis, injection under the skin

-COCCUS

Round bacterium: pneumococcus, bacterium of pneumonia

-CYTE

Cell: leukocyte, white cell

-ECTASIS

Dilation, stretching: angiectasis, dilatation of a blood vessel

-ECTOMY

Excision: adenectomy, excision of adenoids

-EMIA

Blood: glycemia, sugar in blood

-ESTHESIA

Relating to sensation: anesthesia, absence of feeling

-FERENT

Bear, carry: efferent, carry out to periphery

-GENIC

Producing: pyogenic, producing pus

-IATRICS

Pertaining to a physician or the practice of healing (medicine): pediatrics, science of medicine for children

-ITIS

Inflammation: tonsillitis, inflammation of tonsils

-LOGY

Science of: pathology, science of disease

-LYSIS

Losing, flowing, dissolution: autolysis, dissolution of tissue cells

-MALACIA

Softening: osteomalacia, softening of bone

-OMA

Tumor: myoma, tumor made up of muscle elements

-OSIS (-ASIS)

Being affected with: arteriosclerosis, thickening and “hardening” of arteries

-(O)STOMY

Creation of an opening: gastrostomy, creation of an artificial gastric fistula

-(O)TOMY

Cutting into: laparotomy, surgical incision into abdomen

-PATHY

Disease: myopathy, disease of muscle

-PENIA

Decrease or deficiency of: leukopenia, lack of white blood cells

-PEXY

To fix: proctopexy, fixation of rectum by suture

-PHAGIA

Eating: polyphagia, excessive eating

-PHASIA

Speech: aphasia, loss of power of speech

-PHOBIA

Fear: hydrophobia, fear of water

-PLASTY

Molding: gastroplasty, molding or reforming stomach

-PNEA

Air or breathing: dyspnea, difficult breathing

-POIESIS

Making, forming: hematopoiesis, forming blood

-PTOSIS

Falling: enteroptosis, falling of intestine

-RHYTHMIA

Rhythm: arrhythmia, variation from normal rhythm of heart

-RRHAGIA

Flowing or bursting forth: otorrhagia, hemorrhage from ear

-RRHAPHY

Suture of: enterorrhaphy, act of sewing up a gap in intestine

-RRHEA

Discharge: otorrhea, discharge from ear

-STHEN

Pertaining to strength: asthenia, loss of strength

-TAXIA or -TAXIS

Order, arrangement of: ataxia, failure of muscular coordination

-TROPHIA or -TROPHY

Nourishment: atrophy, wasting, or diminution

-URIA

To do with urine: polyuria, excessive secretion of urine