Medical Terminology
Color Terminology
chrom/o - Color
eosin/o - Rosy, Red, Dawn-Colored
erythr/o - Red
leuk/o - White
melan/o - Dark, Black, Melanin
Direction Terminology
a - Absent, Without, Away From
ab - Away From
ad - To, Toward
aniso - Unequal, Dissimilar
anti - Against
ante - Before
circum - Around
contra - Against, Counter To
de - Down, From
dis - Apart, Away From
dors - Back
e - Out, From
ect - Outside, Without
end(o) - Inside, Within
epi - Upon, Over, In Addition
extra - Beyond, Outside Of, In Addition
front - Front, Forehead
neutr/o - Neutral
hyper - Above, Extreme
hypo - Under, Below
infra - Beneath
inter - Between
intra - Inside
medi - Middle, Midline
para - Next to, Resembling Beside
per - Through
peri - Around
retro - Backward
sub - Under, Below
super - Above, In Addition
supra - Over, Above, Upper
trans - Across
-al ; -ar - Pertaining to an Area
Shape Terminology
dys - Abnormal, Impaired
allo - Differing From Normal
morph/o - Form, Shape
plas/o Formation
poikil/o - Irregular
bas/o - Base, Formation
macr(o) - Large, Long
mal - Abnormal, Bad
mega - Large, Extreme
micro(o) - Small
Number Terminology
bi - Two
di - Two
mon(o) - One, Single
multi - Many, Multiple
iso - Equal, Like
uni - Single, One
tri - Three
semi - Half
quad - Four
poly - Many, Much
Other Terminology
agglutin/o - Clumping, Gluing
blast/o - Bud, Sprout, Embryo
chol/e; chol/o - Bile, Gall
cyt - Cell
fibr - Fiber
hydr - Water
reticul/o - Mesh
spider/o - Iron
therm - Heat
xen - Foreign, Strange
ambi - Both
a ; an - Without
auto - Self
co - With, Together
ex - Out Of
hemi - Half
hetero - The Other
hom - Common, Same
hydro - Denoting Water
in - Without, Into, Not, Negative
narc - Stupor, Numbness
ne(o) - New
nutri - Nourish
post - After, Later in Time
pre , pro - Before in Time
pseudo(o) - False
re - Back, Again
syn - Together, Along With
-ase - Denoting an Enzyme
-blast - Germ, Bud
-cyte - Cell
-desis - A Binding
-ic - A Noun/Adjective Ending
-oid - Resembling
-phil - Attraction For
Condition Terminology
path - Pertaining to Disease
necr(o) - Dead
bio - Life
carcin(o) - Cancer
toxic - Poison
-algia - Painful Condition
-ia - A Noun Ending of a Condition
-ism - Condition
-pathic - Diseased
-oma - Tumor
-osis - Abnormal Condition
-plegia - Paralysis
-itis - Inflammation
-phobia - Morbid Fear Of
-rrhea - Profuse Flow
-penia - Decrease, Deficiency
Action Terminology
flex - Bend
-ectomy - Surgical Removal of Body Part
-ist - One Who Does
-meter - Device for Measuring
-ology - Study Of
-ostomy - Forming an Opening
-otomy - Incision, Cutting Into
-poisesis - Formation, Production
-scope - Examination Instrument
-scopy - Procedure with a Scope
-stasis - Stopping, Standing Still
-tomy - Surgical Procedure
-graph - White, Draw, Record
-gram - A Record
-genic - Producing, Causing