Naval Education and Training Command: Hospital Corpsman 3 & 2: Appendix III - Prefixes and Suffixes Used in Medical Terminology

Hospital Corpsman 3 & 2: June 1989

Appendix III - Prefixes and Suffixes Used in Medical Terminology

Naval Education and Training Command

The following are some of the more common prefixes and suffixes used by health care providers to describe body conditions and procedures.

Prefixes
(Pertaining to the body)

brach

arm

capit

head

cardi

heart

chole

gall

cyst

bladder

derma

skin

entero

intestines

glosso

tongue

gastro

stomach

hemo

blood

hepat

liver

laparo

abdomen

myo

muscle

nephro

kidney

neuro

nerve

oculo, ophthalm

eye

odont

tooth

oto

ear

osteo

bone

oral

mouth

pharyn

throat

phleb

vein

pneumo

lung

procto

rectum

rhino

nose

thorac

chest

(Pertaining to conditions)

a or an

lacking or absence of

ab

away from

ad

towards, addition of

ante

before

anti

against

auto

self

contra

against, opposed to

dys

difficult, painful

endo

within

hemi

half

hydro

water

hyper

above, increase

hypo

below, under

mal

faulty, poor

neo

new

oligi

scanty, few

ortho

straight

peri

around

poly

many, much

pyo

pus

pyro

heat, temperature

Suffixes
(Pertaining to body conditions)

-algia

pain

-cele

tumor, hernia

-emia

blood

-esthesia

sensation

-iasis (osis)

condition of

-itis

inflammation

-lith

stone, calculus

-oma

growth, tumor

-opia

vision

-osis (iasis)

condition of

-pathy

disease

-phobia

fear or dread

-plegia

paralysis

-pnea

breathing

-ptosis

drooping, falling

-rrhea

flow, discharge

-therapy

treatment

-thermy

heat

-tropic

nutrition, growth

-trophy

nutrition, growth

-uric, uria

urine

(Pertaining to procedures)

-ectomy

removal of

-plasty

to form or build up

-(o)rrhaphy

repair of

-(o)stomy

creation of an opening

-(o)tomy

cutting into

-manometer

used to measure pressure

-meter

used to measure

-scope,-scopy

used to examine by
looking into or by hearing

Examples of Combinations of Prefixes and Suffixes

chole + cyst + itis = cholecystitis: inflammation of the gallbladder
- chole = gall
- cyst = bladder
- itis = inflammation
chole + lith + iasis = cholelithiasis: condition resulting from gallstones
- chole = gall
- lith = stone
- iasis = condition resulting from
odont + algia = odontalgia: tooth pain (tooth ache)
- odont = tooth
- algia = pain
rhino + plasty = rhinoplasty: to form or build up the nose
- rhino = nose
- plasty = to form or build up

brach	arm
capit	head
cardi	heart
chole	gall
cyst	bladder
derma	skin
entero	intestines
glosso	tongue
gastro	stomach
hemo	blood
hepat	liver
laparo	abdomen
myo	muscle
nephro	kidney
neuro	nerve
oculo, ophthalm	eye
odont	tooth
oto	ear
osteo	bone
oral	mouth
pharyn	throat
phleb	vein
pneumo	lung
procto	rectum
rhino	nose
thorac	chest
(Pertaining to conditions)
a or an	lacking or absence of
ab	away from
ad	towards, addition of
ante	before
anti	against
auto	self
contra	against, opposed to
dys	difficult, painful
endo	within
hemi	half
hydro	water
hyper	above, increase
hypo	below, under
mal	faulty, poor
neo	new
oligi	scanty, few
ortho	straight
peri	around
poly	many, much
pyo	pus
pyro	heat, temperature

-algia	pain
-cele	tumor, hernia
-emia	blood
-esthesia	sensation
-iasis (osis)	condition of
-itis	inflammation
-lith	stone, calculus
-oma	growth, tumor
-opia	vision
-osis (iasis)	condition of
-pathy	disease
-phobia	fear or dread
-plegia	paralysis
-pnea	breathing
-ptosis	drooping, falling
-rrhea	flow, discharge
-therapy	treatment
-thermy	heat
-tropic	nutrition, growth
-trophy	nutrition, growth
-uric, uria	urine
(Pertaining to procedures)
-ectomy	removal of
-plasty	to form or build up
-(o)rrhaphy	repair of
-(o)stomy	creation of an opening
-(o)tomy	cutting into
-manometer	used to measure pressure
-meter	used to measure
-scope,-scopy	used to examine by looking into or by hearing