Medical Roots (I-R) Flashcards
A useful resource for learning where all those fancy medical words come from. In this deck, all roots running from I-R.
What does this medical root mean?
-i-asis
condition
What does this medical root mean?
iatr(o)-
Of or pertaining to medicine, or a physician [uncommon as a prefix; common as as suffix, see -iatry]
What does this medical root mean?
-iatry
Denotes a field in medicine of a certain body component
What does this medical root mean?
-ic
pertaining to
What does this medical root mean?
-icle
small
What does this medical root mean?
-ics
organized knowledge, treatment
What does this medical root mean?
idio-
self, one’s own
What does this medical root mean?
ileo-
ileum
What does this medical root mean?
infra-
below
What does this medical root mean?
inter-
between, among
What does this medical root mean?
intra-
within
What does this medical root mean?
ipsi-
same
What does this medical root mean?
irid(o)-
iris
What does this medical root mean?
isch-
restriction
What does this medical root mean?
ischio-
Of or pertaining to the ischium, the hip-joint
What does this medical root mean?
-ism
condition, disease
What does this medical root mean?
-ismus
spasm, contraction
What does this medical root mean?
iso-
Denoting something as being ‘equal’
What does this medical root mean?
-ist
one who specializes in
What does this medical root mean?
-ite
the nature of, resembling
What does this medical root mean?
-itis
inflammation
What does this medical root mean?
-ium
structure, tissue
What does this medical root mean?
kal/i
potassium
What does this medical root mean?
karyo-
nucleus
What does this medical root mean?
kerat(o)-
cornea (eye or skin)
What does this medical root mean?
kin(e)-, kin(o), kinesi(o)-
movement
What does this medical root mean?
koil(o)-
hollow
What does this medical root mean?
kyph(o)-
humped
What does this medical root mean?
labi(o)-
Of or pertaining to the lip
What does this medical root mean?
lacrim(o)-
tear
What does this medical root mean?
lact(i)-, lact(o)
milk
What does this medical root mean?
lapar(o)-
Of or pertaining to the abdomen-wall, flank
What does this medical root mean?
laryng(o)-
Of or pertaining to the larynx, the lower throat cavity where the voice box is
What does this medical root mean?
latero-
lateral
What does this medical root mean?
lei(o)-
smooth
What does this medical root mean?
-lepsis, -lepsy
attack, seizure
What does this medical root mean?
lept(o)-
light, slender
What does this medical root mean?
leuc(o)-, leuk(o)-
Denoting a white color
What does this medical root mean?
lingu(a)-, lingu(o)-
Of or pertaining to the tongue
What does this medical root mean?
lip(o)-
fat
What does this medical root mean?
lith(o)-
stone, calculus
What does this medical root mean?
log(o)-
speech
What does this medical root mean?
-logist
Denotes someone who studies a certain field: _____-logy
What does this medical root mean?
-logy
Denotes the academic study or practice of a certain field; The study of
What does this medical root mean?
lymph(o)-
lymph
What does this medical root mean?
lys(o)-, -lytic
dissolution
What does this medical root mean?
-lysis
Destruction, separation
What does this medical root mean?
macr(o)-
large, long
What does this medical root mean?
-malacia
softening
What does this medical root mean?
mamm(o)-
Of or pertaining to the breast
What does this medical root mean?
mammill(o)-
Of or pertaining to the nipple
What does this medical root mean?
manu-
Of or pertaining to the hand
What does this medical root mean?
mast(o)-
Of or pertaining to the breast
What does this medical root mean?
meg(a)-, megal(o)-, -megaly
enlargement
What does this medical root mean?
melan(o)-
black color
What does this medical root mean?
melos
extremity
What does this medical root mean?
mening(o)-
membrane
What does this medical root mean?
mero-
part
What does this medical root mean?
mes(o)-
middle
What does this medical root mean?
meta-
after, behind
What does this medical root mean?
-meter
instrument used to measure or count
What does this medical root mean?
-metry
process of measuring
What does this medical root mean?
metr(o)-
Pertaining to conditions or instruments of the uterus
What does this medical root mean?
micro-
denoting something as small, or relating to smallness
What does this medical root mean?
mon(o)-
single
What does this medical root mean?
morph(o)-
form, shape
What does this medical root mean?
muscul(o)-
muscle
What does this medical root mean?
my(o)-
Of or relating to muscle
What does this medical root mean?
myc(o)-
fungus
What does this medical root mean?
myel(o)-
Of or relating to bone marrow
What does this medical root mean?
myring(o)-
eardrum
What does this medical root mean?
myx(o)-
mucus
What does this medical root mean?
narc(o)-
numb, sleep
What does this medical root mean?
nas(o)-
Of or pertaining to the nose
What does this medical root mean?
necr(o)-
death
What does this medical root mean?
neo-
new
What does this medical root mean?
nephr(o)-
Of or pertaining to the kidney
What does this medical root mean?
nerv-
Of or pertaining to nerves and the nervous system [Uncommon as a root: neuro- mostly always used]
What does this medical root mean?
neur(i)-, neur(o)-
Of or pertaining to nerves and the nervous system
What does this medical root mean?
normo-
normal
What does this medical root mean?
ocul(o)-
Of or pertaining to the eye
What does this medical root mean?
odont(o)-
Of or pertaining to teeth
What does this medical root mean?
odyn(o)-
pain
What does this medical root mean?
-oesophageal, oesophago-(BrE)
gullet
What does this medical root mean?
-oid
resemblance to
What does this medical root mean?
ole
small or little
What does this medical root mean?
olig(o)-
Denoting something as ‘having little, having few’
What does this medical root mean?
om(o)-
Of or pertaining to the shoulder
What does this medical root mean?
-oma (singular), -omata (plural)
tumor, mass, collection
What does this medical root mean?
omphal(o)-
Of or pertaining to the navel, the umbilicus
What does this medical root mean?
onco-
tumor, bulk, volume
What does this medical root mean?
onych(o)-
Of or pertaining to the nail (of a finger or toe)
What does this medical root mean?
oo-
Of or pertaining to the an egg, a woman’s egg, the ovum
What does this medical root mean?
oophor(o)-
Of or pertaining to the woman’s ovary
What does this medical root mean?
ophthalm(o)-
Of or pertaining to the eye
What does this medical root mean?
optic(o)-
Of or relating to chemical properties of the eye
What does this medical root mean?
or(o)-
Of or pertaining to the mouth
What does this medical root mean?
orchi(o)-, orchid(o)-, orch(o)-
testis
What does this medical root mean?
orth(o)-
Denoting something as straight or correct
What does this medical root mean?
-osis
a condition, disease or increase
What does this medical root mean?
osseo-
bony
What does this medical root mean?
ossi-
bone
What does this medical root mean?
ost(e)-, oste(o)-
bone
What does this medical root mean?
ot(o)-
Of or pertaining to the ear
What does this medical root mean?
-ous
pertaining to
What does this medical root mean?
ovari(o)-
Of or pertaining to the ovaries
What does this medical root mean?
ovo-, ovi-, ov-
Of or pertaining to the eggs, the ovum
What does this medical root mean?
oxo-
addition of oxygen
What does this medical root mean?
oxy-
sharp, acid, acute, oxygen
What does this medical root mean?
pachy-
thick
What does this medical root mean?
palpebr-
Of or pertaining to the eyelid [uncommon as a root]
What does this medical root mean?
pan-, pant(o)-
Denoting something as ‘complete’ or containing ‘everything’
What does this medical root mean?
papill-
Of or pertaining to the nipple (of the chest/breast)
What does this medical root mean?
papul(o)-
Indicates papulosity, a small elevation or swelling in the skin, a pimple, swelling
What does this medical root mean?
para-
alongside of, abnormal
What does this medical root mean?
-paresis
slight paralysis
What does this medical root mean?
parvo-
small
What does this medical root mean?
path(o)-
disease
What does this medical root mean?
-pathy
Denotes (with a negative sense) a disease, or disorder
What does this medical root mean?
ped-, -ped-, -pes
Of or pertaining to the foot; -footed
What does this medical root mean?
pelv(i)-, pelv(o)-
hip bone
What does this medical root mean?
-penia
deficiency
What does this medical root mean?
peo-
Of or pertaining to the penis
What does this medical root mean?
-pepsia
Denotes something relating to digestion, or the digestive tract.
What does this medical root mean?
per-
through
What does this medical root mean?
peri-
Denoting something with a position ‘surrounding’ or ‘around’ another
What does this medical root mean?
-pexy
fixation
What does this medical root mean?
phaco-
lens-shaped
What does this medical root mean?
-phage, -phagia
Forms terms denoting conditions relating to eating or ingestion
What does this medical root mean?
-phago-
eating, devouring
What does this medical root mean?
phagist-:
Forms nouns that denote a person who ‘feeds on’ the first element or part of the word
What does this medical root mean?
-phagy
Forms nouns that denotes ‘feeding on’ the first element or part of the word
What does this medical root mean?
phallo-
phallus
What does this medical root mean?
pharmaco-
drug, medication
What does this medical root mean?
pharyng(o)-
Of or pertaining to the pharynx, the upper throat cavity
What does this medical root mean?
-phil(ia)
attraction for
What does this medical root mean?
phleb(o)-
Of or pertaining to the (blood) veins, a vein
What does this medical root mean?
-phobia
exaggerated fear, sensitivity
What does this medical root mean?
phon(o)-
sound
What does this medical root mean?
phos-
Of or pertaining to light or its chemical properties, now historic and used rarely. See the common root phot(o)- below.
What does this medical root mean?
phot(o)-
Of or pertaining to light
What does this medical root mean?
piri-
Pear
What does this medical root mean?
phren(i)-, phren(o)-, phrenico
the mind
What does this medical root mean?
-plasia
formation, development
What does this medical root mean?
-plasty
surgical repair, reconstruction
What does this medical root mean?
-plegia
paralysis
What does this medical root mean?
pleio-
more, excessive, multiple
What does this medical root mean?
pleur(o)-, pleur(a)
Of or pertaining to the ribs
What does this medical root mean?
-plexy
stroke or seizure
What does this medical root mean?
pneum(o)-
Of or pertaining to the lungs
What does this medical root mean?
pneumat(o)-
air, lung
What does this medical root mean?
pod-, -pod-, -pus
Of or pertaining to the foot, -footed
What does this medical root mean?
-poiesis
production
What does this medical root mean?
polio-
Denoting a grey color
What does this medical root mean?
poly-
Denotes a ‘plurality’ of something
What does this medical root mean?
por(o)-
pore, porous
What does this medical root mean?
porphyr(o)-
Denotes a purple color
What does this medical root mean?
post-
Denotes something as ‘after’ or ‘behind’ another
What does this medical root mean?
pre-
Denotes something as ‘before’ another (in [physical] position or time)
What does this medical root mean?
presby(o)-
old age
What does this medical root mean?
prim-
Denotes something as ‘first’ or ‘most-important’
What does this medical root mean?
pro-
Denotes something as ‘before’ another (in [physical] position or time)
What does this medical root mean?
proct(o)-
anus, rectum
What does this medical root mean?
prosop(o)-
face
What does this medical root mean?
prot(o)-
Denotes something as ‘first’ or ‘most important’
What does this medical root mean?
pseud(o)-
Denotes something false or fake
What does this medical root mean?
psych(e)-, psych(o)
Of or pertaining to the mind
What does this medical root mean?
pterygo-
Pertaining to a wing
What does this medical root mean?
psor-
Itching
What does this medical root mean?
-ptosis
falling, drooping, downward placement, prolapse
What does this medical root mean?
-ptysis
(a spitting), spitting, hemoptysis, the spitting of blood derived from the lungs or bronchial tubes
What does this medical root mean?
pulmon-, pulmo-
Of or relating to the lungs.
What does this medical root mean?
pyel(o)-
pelvis
What does this medical root mean?
pyo-
pus
What does this medical root mean?
pyro-
fever
What does this medical root mean?
quadr(i)-
four
What does this medical root mean?
radio-
radiation
What does this medical root mean?
re-
again, backward
What does this medical root mean?
rect(o)-
rectum
What does this medical root mean?
ren(o)-
Of or pertaining to the kidney
What does this medical root mean?
reticul(o)-
net
What does this medical root mean?
retro-
backward, behind
What does this medical root mean?
rhabd(o)-
rod shaped, striated
What does this medical root mean?
rhachi(o)-
spine
What does this medical root mean?
rhin(o)-
Of or pertaining to the nose
What does this medical root mean?
rhod(o)-
Denoting a rose-red color
What does this medical root mean?
-rrhage
burst forth
What does this medical root mean?
-rrhagia
rapid flow of blood
What does this medical root mean?
-rrhaphy
surgical suturing
What does this medical root mean?
-rrhea (AmE)
flowing, discharge
What does this medical root mean?
-rrhexis
rupture
What does this medical root mean?
-rrhoea
flowing, discharge
What does this medical root mean?
rubr(o)-
Of or pertaining to the red nucleus of the brain
