Glossary of Word Parts Word Part Type Meaning Word Part Type Meaning a- prefi x without, absence -asia suffi x condition of, of, not process of, ab- prefi x away state of abdomin(o)- combining form belly or astr(o)- combining form star abdomen -ate suffi x having, resembling -ac suffi x pertaining to atel(o)- combining form incomplete acanth(o)- combining form “thorn” atri(o)- combining form atrium acar(o)- combining form mite atto- prefi x one quintillionth acoust(o)- combining form sound audi(o)- combining form hearing -ad suffi x toward aur(o)- combining form ear ad- prefi x toward auto- prefi x self aden(o)- combining form gland axi(o)- combining form axis adip(o)- combining form fat azot- root nitrogen adren(o)- combining form adrenal bacteri(o)- combining form bacteria af- prefi x toward baso- prefi x blue agon(o)- combining form to compete, bi- prefi x two competitor bili(o)- combining form bile -al suffi x pertaining to bio- root life -algia suffi x pain -blast suffi x bud, germinal, alg(o)- combining form pain “seed” alges(o)- combining form pain blephar(o)- combining form eyelid aliment(o)- combining form food bol(o)- combining form to throw alveol(o)- combining form alveolus brachi(o)- combining form arm amyl(o)- combining form starch brachy- prefi x short an- prefi x without or not brady- prefi x slow an(o)- combining form anus bronch(o)- combining form bronchus ana- prefi x up, back, again bucc(o)- combining form cheek ang(o)- combining form vessel -cal suffi x pertaining to angi(o)- combining form vessel calc(o)- combining form calcium anis(o)- prefi x unequal canth(o)- combining form angle -ant suffi x one that capn(o)- combining form carbon dioxide ant- prefi x against carcin(o)- combining form cancer ante- prefi x before cardi(o)- combining form heart anter(o)- combining form front or before carp(o)- combining form carpus anti- prefi x against cata- prefi x down, under, aort(o)- combining form aorta against -ar suffi x pertaining to caud(o)- combining form tail arct(o)- combining form constriction cec(o)- combining form cecum arter(o)- combining form artery -cele suffi x protrusion, herniation arthr(o)- combining form joint cellul(o)- combining form cell -ary suffi x pertaining to -centesis suffi x to puncture -ase suffi x enzyme centi- prefi x one hundredth 1 Elsevier items and derived items © 2009 by Saunders, an imprint of Elsevier Inc. 2 Glossary of Word Parts Word Part Type Meaning Word Part Type Meaning centr(o)- combining form center or central deka- prefi x ten cephal(o)- combining form head dendr(o)- combining form tree, dendrite cerebell(o)- combining form cerebellum dent(o)- combining form teeth cerebr(o)- combining form cerebrum derm(o)- combining form skin cerumin(o)- combining form wax dermat(o)- combining form skin cervic(o)- combining form neck di- prefi x two chez(o)- root feces, defecation dia- prefi x through chole(o)- combining form bile diastol(o)- combining form expansion cholin(o)- combining form acetylcholine dips(o)- combining form thirst chondr(o)- combining form cartilage distichi(o)- combining form double line chrom(o)- combining form color dolich(o)- combining form long chromat(o)- combining form color dont(o)- combining form tooth cid(o)- combining form to kill dors(o)- combining form the back circum- prefi x around duoden(o)- combining form duodenum -clast suffi x to break dur(o)- combining form dura mater -cle suffi x small, diminutive dynam(o)- combining form power co- prefi x together or with dys- prefi x diffi cult or bad coagul(o)- combining form clotting ec- prefi x out coccyg(o)- combining form tail echin(o)- combining form “hedgehog” cochle(o)- combining form cochlea echo- root echo (a returned col(o)- combining form colon sound; i.e., ultrasound) colon(o)- combining form colon -ectasis suffi x expansion or column(o)- combining form column dilation conjunctiv(o)- combining form conjunctiva ecto- prefi x outer, outside contra- prefi x against or opposed, -ectomy suffi x to cut out opposite ef- prefi x away copr(o)- combining form feces electr(o)- combining form electricity cor(o)- combining form pupil -elle suffi x a small corne(o)- combining form cornea -em root blood cornu(o)- combining form horn em- prefi x in, into cortic(o)- combining form cortex emet(o)-/ combining form vomiting cost(o)- combining form rib emes(o)- cox(o)- combining form hip -emia suffi x a blood condition crani(o)- combining form head en- prefi x in, into crin(o)- combining form to secrete encephal(o)- combining form brain crypt(o)- combining form hidden endo- prefi x within cub(o)- combining form cube endotheli(o)- combining form endothelium -cule suffi x small, diminutive -ent suffi x one that cyan(o)- combining form blue enter(o)- combining form intestine -cyesis root pregnancy eosin(o)- combining form red cyst(o)- combining form bladder epi- prefi x upon cyt(o)- combining form cell episi- root vulva -cyte suffi x a cell epitheli(o)- combining form epithelium dactyl(o)- combining form fi ngers/toes -er suffi x one that de- prefi x reverse, remove erg(o)- combining form to work deca- prefi x ten erythemat(o)- combining form red, redness deci- prefi x one tenth erythr(o)- combining form red dect(o)- combining form to bite -esis suffi x condition of, degluti(o)- combining form swallowing process of, state of Elsevier items and derived items © 2009 by Saunders, an imprint of Elsevier Inc. Glossary of Word Parts 3 Word Part Type Meaning Word Part Type Meaning esophag(o)- combining form esophagus hypo- prefi x below, under, esthes(o)- combining form sensation defi cient estr(o)- combining form estrus hyster(o)- combining form uterus ethm(o)- combining formsieve -i suffi x indicates plural of the root ex- prefi x out -ia suffi x condition of, exo- prefi x out, outside process of, extra- prefi x outside state of femor(o)- combining form femur -iasis suffi x condition of, femto- prefi x one quadrillionth process of, state of fi br(o)- combining form fi ber iatr(o)- combining form “physician” fi brin(o)- combining form fi ber or fi brin -ic suffi x pertaining to fi bul(o)- combining form fi bula -ical suffi x pertaining to gastr(o)- combining form stomach icter(o)- combining form icterus, jaundice gen(o)- combining form to produce -ile suffi x capable, able -genesis suffi x production of ile(o)- combining form ileum gesta- root to bear ili(o)- combining form ilium giga- prefi x billion im- prefi x in, into gingiv(o)- combining form gingiva (“gums”) immun(o)- combining form exempt (immunity) gli(o)- combining form glue -in suffi x one that, presence glomerul(o)- combining form glomerulus of (“a,” “an”) n. gloss(o)- combining form tongue in- prefi x in, into gluc(o)- combining form glucose, sugar infarc(o)- combining form to stuff in glyc(o)- combining form glucose, sugar ino- root fi ber gnath(o)- combining form jaw inter- prefi x between gonad(o)- combining form “seed,” gonads intra- prefi x within -grade suffi x to step -ion suffi x act of, state of, -gram suffi x a recording process of granul(o)- combining form granule ipsi- prefi x same -graph suffi x to record, irid(o)- combining form iris recording of isch(o)- combining form to suppress -graphy suffi x to record, -ism suffi x condition of, recording of process of, haustra- root pouch or sac state of hecto- prefi x hundred is(o)- combining form equal helmin(o)- combining form worm -ist suffi x one who or one hem(o)- combining form blood that, specialist hemat(o)- combining form blood -itis suffi x infl ammation of hemi- prefi x half -ity suffi x a state of hepat(o)- combining form liver -ive suffi x pertaining to heter(o)- combining form other -ize suffi x to cause to be (v.) hist(o)- combining form tissue jejun(o)- combining form jejunum home(o)- combining form like, resembling, kary(o)- combining form nucleus sameness, kerat(o)- combining form “horn” or cornea unchanging (ophthalmology) humer(o)- combining form humerus kilo- prefi x thousand humor(o)- combining form liquid kine(o)- combining form to move hydr(o)- combining form water -kinesis suffi x movement hyper- prefi x excessive, above labi(o)- combining form lips normal Elsevier items and derived items © 2009 by Saunders, an imprint of Elsevier Inc. 4 Glossary of Word Parts Word Part Type Meaning Word Part Type Meaning lacrim(o)- combining form tears muc(o)- combining form mucus lact(o)- combining form milk multi- prefi x many lamin(o)- combining form lamina muscul(o)- combining form muscle lapar(o)- combining form fl ank, abdomen muta- root change laryng(o)- combining form larynx my(o)- combining form muscle later(o)- combining form side myc(o)- combining form fungus leuk(o)- combining form white myel(o)- combining form marrow lingu(o)- combining form tongue (hematology), spinal cord lip(o)- combining form fat (neurology) lith(o)- combining form stone nano- prefi x one billionth lob(o)- combining form lobe nas(o)- combining form nose log(o)- combining form to study or natri(o)- combining form sodium knowledge necr(o)- combining form death -logy suffi x study of neo- prefi x new lumb(o)- combining form lumbus or lumbar nephr(o)- combining form kidney lymph(o)- combining form lymph neur(o)- combining form nerve lys(o)- combining form destruction, dissolution, neutr(o)- combining form neutral, neutrophil dissolving noci- root injury, to injure -lysis suffi x destruction of noct(o)- combining form night -lytic suffi x pertaining to nom(o)- combining form law, control destruction or nos(o)- combining form disease breakage nucle(o)- combining form nucleus [Gr.