Combining vowels are denoted after a forward slash (/).

Combining Vowels

Prefixes, Combining Forms, and Suffixes

Appendix

A

abdomin/o
abdomen
abrad/o, abras/o
rub or scrape off
abrupt/o
broken away from
abscess/o
collection of pus
acous/o, acoust/o
hearing, sound
acr/o
extremities (hands and feet), top, extreme point
actin/o
light
acu/o
sharp, severe, sudden
aden/o
gland
adenoid/o
adenoids
adhes/o
stick to, cling to
adip/o
fat
adnex/o
bound to
adren/o, adrenal/o
adrenal glands
aer/o
air, gas
affect/o
exert influence on
agor/a
marketplace
alb/o, albin/o
white
albumin/o
albumin, protein
alg/o, alges/o
pain, relationship to pain
align/o
bring into line or correct position
aliment/o
to nourish
all/o, all-
other, different from normal, reversal
alopec/o
baldness
alveol/o
alveolus, air sac, small sac
ambly/o
dull, dim
ambulat/o
walking
amni/o
amnion, fetal membrane
amput/o
cut away, cut off a part of the body
amyl/o
starch, carbohydrate
an/o
anus, ring
andr/o
male, masculine
aneurysm/o
aneurysm
angi/o
blood or lymph vessel
anis/o
unequal
ankyl/o
crooked, bent, stiff
anomal/o
irregularity
anter/o
before, front
anxi/o
anxiety, anxious, uneasy
aort/o
aorta
aphth/o
ulcer
apic/o
apex, tip
ap-, apo-
separation, away from, opposed, detached
append/o, appendic/o
appendix
aque/o
water
areat/o
occurring in patches or circumscribed areas
areol/o
little open space, space around the nipple
arter/o, arteri/o
artery
arthr/o
joint
articul/o
joint
aspir/o, aspirat/o
to breathe in
asthm/o
asthma
astr/o
star, star-shaped
atel/o
incomplete, imperfect
ather/o
plaque, fatty substance
atri/o
atrium (of the heart)
attenu/o
diluted, weakened
audi/o, audit/o
ear, hearing, the sense of hearing
aur/i
ear, hearing
auscult/a, auscult/o
listen
aut/o
self
axill/o
armpit

B

bacteri/o
bacteria (singular, bacterium)
balan/o
glans penis
bar/o
pressure, weight
bas/o
base, opposite of acid (alkaline)
bi/o
life
bifid/o
split, divided into two parts
bil/i
bile, gall
bilirubin/o
bilirubin
blephar/o
eyelid
brachi/o
arm
bronchi/o, bronch/o
bronchial tube, bronchus
bronchiol/o
bronchiole, bronchiolus
brux/o
grind
bucc/o
cheek
burs/o
bursa, sac of fluid near joint

C

calcane/o
calcaneus, heel bone
calc/i
calcium, lime, the heel
calci-, calc/o
calcium
calcul/o
stone, little stone
cali/o, calic/o
cup-like structure, calyx
calor/i
heat
canth/o
corner of the eye
capill/o
hair
capit/o
head
capn/o
carbon dioxide, sooty or smoky appearance
capsul/o
little box
carb/o
carbon
carcin/o
cancerous
cardi/o, card/o
heart
cari/o
caries, tooth decay
carp/o
wrist bones
catabol/o
a breaking down
caud/o
lower part of body, tail
caus/o
burning, burn
cav/o
hollow, cave
cec/o
cecum
cephal/o
head
cerebell/o
cerebellum
cerebr/o
cerebrum, brain
cervic/o
neck, cervix (neck of uterus)
cheil/o
lip or lips
chem/o
drug, chemical
chir/o
hand
chol/e
bile, gall
cholangi/o
bile duct
cholecyst/o
gallbladder
choledoch/o
common bile duct
cholesterol/o
cholesterol
chondr/i, chondr/o
cartilage
chori/o, chorion/o
chorion, membrane
choroid/o
choroid layer of eye
chrom/o
color
chron/o
time
cili/o
eyelashes
circulat/o
circulate, go around in a circle
cirrh/o
orange-yellow, tawny
cis/o
to cut
claudicat/o
to limp
claustr/o
barrier, enclosed space
clavicul/o
clavicle, collar bone
cleid/o
clavicle, collar bone
clon/o
violent action
coagul/o
clotting, coagulation
coarct/o, coarctat/o
press together, narrow
cocc/o
spherical bacteria
coccyg/o
coccyx, tailbone
cochle/o
spiral, snail, snail shell
coit/o
a coming together
col/o
colon, large intestine
coll/a
glue
colon/o
colon, large intestine
colp/o
vagina
comat/o
deep sleep
comminut/o
break into pieces
communic/o
share, to make common
concav/o
together, with
concept/o
hollow
concuss/o
become pregnant
coni/o
shaken together, violently agitate
constrict/o
dust
contin/o
draw tightly together
contus/o
against, counter, opposite
convex/o
bruise
convuls/o
arched, vaulted
cor/o
pull together
cord/o
pupil
cordi/o
heart
coron/o
coronary, crown
corpor/o
body
cortic/o
cortex, outer region
cost/o
rib
crani/o
skull
creatin/o
creatinine
crin/o, -crine
to secrete
cry/o
cold
crypt/o
hidden
cubit/o
elbow
culd/o
cul-de-sac, blind pouch
cusp/o
point
cutane/o
skin
cyan/o
blue
cycl/o
ciliary body of eye, cycle
cyst/o
urinary bladder, cyst, sac of fluid
cyt/o, -cyte
cell

D

dacry/o
tear, lacrimal duct (tear duct)
dacryocyst/o
lacrimal sac (tear sac)
dactyl/o
finger, toe
decidu/o
shedding, falling off
delt/o
Greek letter delta, a triangular shape
delus/o
delude, cheat
dem/o
people, population
dendr/o
branching, resembling a tree
dent/i, dent/o
tooth, teeth
depress/o
press down, lower, pressed or sunk down
-derma, dermat/o, derm/o
skin
desicc/o
drying, to dry
dextr/o
right side
dia-, di-
through, between, apart, complete
diaphor/o
sweat
diaphragmat/o
diaphragm
didym/o
testes, twins
digest/o
digest, break down (food)
digit/o
digit, finger or toe
dilat/o
spread out, widen
dipl/o
double
dips/o, -dipsia
thirst
dissect/o
cutting apart
dist/o
far, away from the point of origin
distend/o
stretch apart, expand
dors/o
back of body
duct/o
to lead, carry
duoden/o
duodenum, first part of small intestine
dur/o
dura mater
dys-
bad, difficult, painful

E

ecchym/o
pouring out of juice or blood
ech/o
sound wave, echo
edentul/o
without teeth
effus/o
pouring out
ejaculat/o
throw or hurl out
electr/o
electricity, electric
embol/o
something inserted or thrown
embry/o
fertilized ovum, embryo
emet/o
vomit
encephal/o
brain
end-, endo-
in, within, inside
enter/o
intestine, usually small intestine
epiglott/o
epiglottis
episi/o
vulva
erect/o
upright
erg/o
work
erupt/o
break out, burst forth
erythemat/o
flushed, redness
erythr/o
red
esophag/o
esophagus
esthet/o
feeling, nervous sensation, sense of perception
estr/o
female
ethm/o
sieve, ethmoid bone
eti/o
cause of disease
exacerb/o
aggravate, irritate
excori/o
abrade or scratch
excret/o
separate, discharge
extern/o
outside, outer
extrins/o
from the outside, contained outside
exud/o
to sweat, exude fluid

F

faci/o
face, form
fasci/o
fascia, fibrous band
fec/a, fec/o
dregs, sediment, waste
femor/o
femur, thigh bone
fenestr/a
window, small opening
fer/o
to bear, carry
fertil/o
fertile, able to conceive
fet/o
fetus, unborn child
fibr/o
fibrous tissue, fiber
fibrin/o
fibrin, fibers, threads of a clot
fibul/o
fibula
filtr/o, filtrat/o
filter, to strain through
fiss/o
crack, split, cleft
flatul/o
flatus, rectal gas
flex/o
bend
fluor/o
glowing, luminous
foc/o
focus, point
follicul/o
follicle, small sac
foramin/o
opening, foramen
-form, form/o
resembling, in the shape of
fove/o
small pit, depressed area
fract/o
break
front/o
front, forehead
fund/o
bottom, base, fundus
fung/o
fungus
-fusion
to come together

G

galact/o
milk
ganglion/o
ganglion, cluster of nerve cell bodies
gangren/o
tissue death, gangrene
gastr/o
stomach
gemin/o
twin, double, group
gen-, gen/o, -gen
producing, forming
-genic, -genesis
creation, reproduction
ger/i
old age
germin/o
bud, sprout, embryonic tissue
geront/o
old age
gest/o, gestat/o
pregnancy, gestation to birth
gigant/o
giant, very large
gingiv/o
gingival tissue, gums
glauc/o
gray
glen/o
socket of a joint
gli/o
neurologic cells, supportive tissue of nervous system
globul/o
shaped like a ball
glomerul/o
glomerulus
glott/o
pertaining to the tongue
gluc/o
glucose, sugar
glyc/o, glycos/o
glucose, sugar
glycer/o
sweet
gon/o
seed
gonad/o
gonad, sex glands
goni/o
angle
granul/o
granule(s)
gynec/o
woman, female

H

hal/o, halit/o
breath
hallucin/o
hallucination
hem/o, hemat/o
blood, relating to the blood
hemoglobin/o
hemoglobin
hepat/o
liver
hered/o, heredit/o
inherited, hereditary
herni/o
hernia
hiat/o
opening, gap
hidr/o
sweat
hirsut/o
hairy, rough
hist/o
tissue
hom/o
same, like, alike
home/o
sameness, unchanging, constant
hormon/o
hormone
humer/o
humerus (upper arm bone)
hydr/o
relating to water
hygien/o
health
hypn/o
sleep
hyster/o
uterus

I

icter/o
jaundice
idi/o
peculiar to one individual or organ, also unknown
ile/o
ileum, small intestine
ili/o
ilium, hip bone
immun/o
immune, protection, safe
impact/o
pushed against, wedged against, packed
incis/o
cutting into
infarct/o
filled in, stuffed
infect/o
infected, tainted
infer/o
below, beneath
inflammat/o
flame within, set on fire
inguin/o
groin
inject/o
to force or put in, insert
insul/o
island
insulin/o
insulin
intern/o
within, inside
intestin/o
intestine
intrins/o
contained within, on the inside
intussuscept/o
take up or receive within
iod/o
iodine
ion/o
ion, to wander
ir/i, ir/o, irid/o, irit/o
iris, colored part of eye
ischi/o
ischium (hip bone)
-ize
to make, to treat

J

jejun/o
jejunum
jugul/o
throat
juxta-
beside, near, nearby

K

kary/o
nucleus, nut
kel/o
growth, tumor
kerat/o
horny, hard, cornea
ket/o, keton/o
ketones, acetones
kines/o, kinesi/o
movement
klept/o
to steal
kyph/o
bent, hump

L

labi/o
lip, labium
labyrinth/o
maze, labyrinth, the inner ear
lacer/o
torn, mangled
lacrim/o
tears, tear duct
lact/i, lact/o
milk
lamin/o
lamina, posterior portion of a vertebra
lapar/o
abdomen, abdominal wall
laryng/o
larynx, throat
later/o
side
lei/o
smooth
lent/o
the lens of the eye
lenticul/o
lens, shaped like a lens
leuk/o
white
lev/o
raise, lift
lex/o, -lexia
word, phrase
ligament/o
ligament
ligat/o
binding or tying off
lingu/o
tongue
lipid/o, lip/o
fat, lipid
lith/o, -lith
stone, calculus
lob/o
lobe, well-defined part of an organ
loc/o
place
-logy, -log
study of
lord/o
curve, swayback, bent
lumb/o
lumbar, lower back, loin
lumin/o
light, lumen
lun/o
moon
lymph/o
lymph, lymphatic tissue
lymphaden/o
lymph node or gland
lymphangi/o
lymph vessel
-lytic
to reduce, destroy

M

macul/o
spot
malign/o
bad, harmful
malle/o
malleus, hammer
malleol/o
malleolus, little hammer
mamm/o
breast
manu/o
hand
mandibul/o
mandible, lower jaw
mast/o
breast, mastoid process
mastic/o
chew
mastoid/o
mastoid process
matur/o
ripe, mature
maxill/o
maxilla (upper jaw)
medi/o
middle
mediastin/o
mediastinum, middle
medic/o
medicine, physician, healing
medull/o
medulla (inner section), middle, marrow
mega-, megal/o
large, great
melan/o
black, dark
men/o
menstruation, month
mening/o, meningi/o
membranes, meninges
menisc/o
meniscus, crescent-shaped
menstru/o
menstruation
ment/o
mind, chin
mesenter/o
mesentery
mesi/o
middle, median plane
metabol/o
change
metr/o, metri/o
uterus
micr/o, micro-
small
mictur/o
urinate
mineral/o
mineral
mit/o
thread, thread-like
mitr/o
like a miter, i.e. having two points on top
mobil/o
capable of moving, movement
morbid/o
disease, sickness
morph/o
shape, form
mort/o
death, dead
mot/o, motil/o
motion, movement
muc/o, mucos/o
mucus
muscul/o
muscle
mutat/o
to change
my/o
muscle
myc/o
fungus
mydr/o
widening
myel/o
spinal cord, bone marrow
myos/o
muscle
myring/o
tympanic membrane, eardrum
myx/o
mucus

N

narc/o
numbness, stupor, sleep
nas/o
nose
nat/o
birth
necr/o
death
neo-, ne/o
new, strange
nephr/o
kidney
nerv/o, neur/i, neur/o
nerve, nerve tissue
neutr/o
neither, neutral
noct/o
night
nod/o
knot, swelling, node
nodul/o
little knot or node
norm/o
normal or usual
nucle/o
nucleus
nucleol/o
little nucleus, nucleolus
nutri/o
nourishment, food, nourish, feed

O

obes/o
obese, extremely fat
obstetr/o
pregnancy, birth
occipit/o
back of the skull, occiput
ocul/o
eye
odont/o
tooth
olfact/o
smell, sense of smell
olig/o
scanty, few
omphal/o
umbilicus, the navel
onc/o
tumor
onych/o
fingernail or toenail
o/o
egg
oophor/o
ovary
operat/o
perform, operate
ophthalm/o
eye, vision
-opsy, opt/i, opt/o, optic/o
eye, vision
or/o
mouth, oral cavity
orch/o, orchid/o, orchi/o
testicles, testis, testes
organ/o
organ
orth/o
straight, normal, correct
oss/e, oss/i
bone
ossicul/o
ossicle (small bone)
oste/o, ost/o
bone
ot/o
ear, hearing
ov/i, ov/o
egg, ovum
ovari/o
ovary
ovul/o
egg, ovum
ox/i, ox/o, ox/y
oxygen

P

palat/o
palate, roof of mouth
palpat/o
touch, feel, stroke
palpit/o
throbbing, quivering
pancreat/o
pancreas
papill/o
nipple-like, optic disc
par-, para-
beside, near, beyond, abnormal, apart from, opposite, along side of
par/o
birth
parathyroid/o
parathyroid glands
paroxysm/o
sudden attack
patell/o
patella, kneecap
path/o, -pathy
disease, suffering, feeling, emotion
pector/o
chest
ped/o
child, foot
pedicul/o
louse (singular), lice (plural)
pelv/i, pelv/o
pelvic bone, pelvic cavity, hip
pen/i, pen/o
penis
pepsia, pept/o
to digest, digestion
percuss/o
strike, tap, beat
perine/o
perineum
peritone/o
peritoneum
perm/e/o
to pass or go through
perone/o
fibula
phac/o, phak/o
lens of eye
phag/o
eat, swallow
phalang/o
phalanges, finger, toe
phall/i
penis
pharmac/o, pharmaceut/o
drug
pharyng/o
throat, pharynx
phas/o
speech
phe/o
dusky, gray
-philia, phil/o
attraction to, like, love
phleb/o
vein
phon/o
sound, voice
phor/o
carry, bear, movement
phot/o
light
phren/o
diaphragm, mind
physi/o
nature, physical
pigment/o
pigment, color
pil/i, pil/o
hair
pineal/o
pineal gland
pinn/i
external ear, auricle
pituit/o, pituitar/o
pituitary gland
placent/o
placenta
plak/o, -plakia
plaque, plate, thin flat layer or scale
plant/i, plant/o
sole of foot
plas/i, plas/o
development, growth, formation
plasm/o
something molded or formed
pleur/o
pleura, side of the body
pne/o
breath, breathing
pneum/o, pneumon/o
lung, air
pod/o
foot
poli/o
gray matter of brain and spinal cord
polyp/o
polyp, small growth
poplite/o
back of the knee
por/o
pore, small opening
port/o
gate, door
poster/o
behind, toward the back
potent/o
powerful, capable
pract/o
practice, pursue an occupation
pregn/o
pregnant, full of
presby/o
old age
proct/o
anus and rectum
product/o
lead forward, yield, produce
pronat/o
bent forward, face down
prostat/o
prostate gland
prosthet/o
addition, appendage
prot/o
first
protein/o
protein
proxim/o
near
prurit/o
itching
pseud/o
false
psor/o
itch, itching
psych/o
mind
pub/o
pubis, part of hip bone
pulm/o, pulmon/o
lung
pulsat/o
beat, beating, striking
punct/o
hole, prick, puncture
pupill/o
pupil (of the eye)
purul/o
pus, pus-filled
py/o
pus
pyel/o
renal pelvis, bowl of kidney
pyr/o, pyret/o
fever, fire
quadr/i, quadr/o
four

R

radi/o
radiation, x-rays, radius (lateral lower arm bone)
radicul/o
nerve root
recept/o
receive, receiver
rect/o
rectum, straight
reduct/o
bring back together
refract/o
bend back, turn aside
remiss/o
give up, send back, relax
ren/o
kidney
resuscit/o
to revive
retent/o
hold back
reticul/o
network
retin/o
retina (of the eye), net
rhabdomy/o
striated (skeletal) muscle
rheumat/o
watery flow, subject to flow
rhin/o
nose
rhiz/o
root, spinal nerve root
rhythm/o
rhythm
rhytid/o
wrinkle
-rrhage, -rrhagia
abnormal excessive fluid discharge
rug/o
wrinkle, fold, ruga

S

sacchar/o
sugar
sacr/o
sacrum
saliv/o
saliva
salping/o
fallopian (uterine) tube, auditory (eustachian) tube
sapr/en/o
clear, apparent, manifest
sarc/o
flesh, connective tissue
schiz/o
division, to split
scler/o
sclera (white of the eye), hard
scoli/o
curved, bent
script/o
write
scrot/o
bag or pouch, scrotum
seb/o
sebum
secret/o
produce, separate out
sect/o
cut, cutting
semin/i
semen, seed, sperm
sen/o
old age
sens/o
feeling, sensation
sensitiv/o
sensitive to, affected by
sept/o
infection, partition
ser/o
serum
sigmoid/o
sigmoid colon
sin/o
hollow, sinus
sinistr/o
left, left side
sinus/o
sinus
sit/u
place
soci/o
companion, fellow being
somat/o
body
somn/o
sleep
son/o
sound
spasmod/o
tightening, cramping
sperm/o, spermat/o
sperm, spermatozoa, seed
sphen/o
sphenoid bone, wedge-shaped
spher/o
round, sphere, ball
sphincter/o
tight band, sphincter
sphygm/o
pulse
spin/o
spine, backbone
spir/o
to breathe, coil
splen/o
spleen
spondyl/o
vertebrae, vertebral column, backbone
squam/o
scale, scale-like cell
staped/o
stapes (middle ear bone)
staphyl/o
clusters, bunch of grapes
-stasis, -static
control, maintenance of a constant level
steat/o
fat, lipid, sebum
sten/o
narrowing, contracted
stere/o
solid, three-dimensional
stern/o
sternum (breast bone)
steth/o
chest
stigmat/o
point, spot
stimul/o
goad, prick, incite
stom/o, stomat/o
mouth, oral cavity
-stomosis, -stomy
furnish with a mouth or outlet, new opening
strept/o
twisted chain, curved
styl/o
pen, pointed instrument, stake
sucr/o
sugar
sud/o, sudor/i
sweat
supinat/o
bent backward, lying on the back
suppress/o
press down
suppur/o
to form pus
symptomat/o
falling together, symptom(s)
syncop/o
to cut short, cut off, faint
synovi/o, synov/o
synovial membrane, synovial fluid
system/o
body system, body as a whole
systol/o
contraction, contracting

T

tars/o
tarsus (ankle bone), tarsal plate (on the edge of the eyelid)
tax/o
coordination, order
techn/o
skill
tele/o
distant, distance
tempor/o
temporal bone, temple (on head)
ten/o, tend/o
tendon, stretch out, extend, strain
tendin/o
tendon
tens/o
stretch out, extend, tension
termin/o
end, limit
test/i, test/o
testicle, testis
thalam/o
thalamus
thanat/o
death
thec/o
sheath, case
therapeut/o
treatment
therm/o
heat
thorac/o
chest, thorax
thromb/o
clot, thrombus
thym/o
thymus gland
thyr/o, thyroid/o
thyroid gland
tibi/o
tibia (shin bone)
toc/o, -tocin
labor, birth
tom/o
cut, section, slice
ton/o
tension, tone, stretching
tonsill/o
tonsil, throat
tort/i
twisted
tox/o, toxic/o
poison, poisonous, toxin
trabecul/o
little beam or cross bar, mesh
trache/o
trachea, windpipe
tract/o
draw, pull, path, bundle of nerve fibers
tranquill/o
quiet, calm, tranquil
traumat/o
injury
tremul/o
fine tremor, shaking
trich/o
hair
trop/o
to turn, change
troph/o, -trophy
development, nourishment
tub/o
tube, pipe
tubercul/o
little knot, swelling, tuberculosis
tuss/o
cough
tympan/o
tympanic membrane, eardrum
-type
classification, picture

U

uln/o
ulna (medial lower arm bone)
umbilic/o
navel
ungu/o
nail
ur/o
urine, urinary tract
ureter/o
ureter
urethr/o
urethra
urin/o
urine or urinary organ
urtic/o
nettle, rash, hives
uter/o
uterus
uve/o
iris, choroid, ciliary body (of the eye)

V

vaccin/o
vaccine
vag/o
vagus nerve, wandering
vagin/o
vagina
valv/o, valvul/o
valve
varic/o
varicose veins, swollen or dilated vein
vas/o
vas deferens, blood vessel
vascul/o
blood vessel, little vessel
ven/o
vein
ventilat/o
expose to air, oxygenate
ventr/o
in front, abdomen side of body
ventricul/o
ventricle of brain or heart, small chamber
-verse, -version
to turn
vers/o, vert/o
turn, travel
vertebr/o
vertebra, backbone
vertig/o
whirling round
vesic/o
urinary bladder
vesicul/o
seminal vesicle, blister, little bladder
vestibul/o
entrance, vestibule (of the inner ear)
vir/o
virus, poison
viril/o
masculine, manly
vis/o
seeing, sight, vision
viscer/o
viscera, internal organ
viscos/o
sticky, thickness
vit/a
life
vitre/o
glassy, vitreous humor (of the eye)
vulv/o
vulva, covering

X

xanth/o
yellow
xen/o
strange, foreign
xer/o
dry
xiph/o
sword-shaped

Y

-y
noun ending

Z

zoo, zo/o
(animal) life
zygomat/o
cheek bone