Medical Terminology: Combining forms Flashcards
abdomin/o-
abdomen
ablat/o-
take away; destroy
abort/o-
stop prematurely
abras/o-
scrape off
absorpt/o-
absorb; take in
access/o-
supplemental or contributing part
accommod/o-
to adapt
acetabul/o-
acetabulum (hip socket)
acid/o-
acid (low pH)
acous/o-
hearing; sound
acr/o-
extremity; highest point
acromi/o-
acromion
actin/o-
rays of the sun
act/o-
action
acu/o-
needle; sharpness
addict/o-
surrender to; be controlled by
aden/o-
gland
adenoid/o-
adenoids
adhes/o-
to stick to
adip/o-
fat
adjuv/o-
giving help or assistance
adnex/o-
accessory connecting parts
adolesc/o-
the beginning of being an adult
adrenal/o-
adrenal gland
adren/o-
adrenal gland
affect/o-
state of mind; mood; to have an influence on
affer/o-
bring toward the center
agglutin/o-
clumping; sticking
aggreg/o-
crowding together
ag/o-
to lead to
agon/o-
causing action
agor/a-
open area of space
albin/o-
white
albumin/o-
albumin
alges/o-
sensation of pain
alg/o-
pain
align/o-
arranged in a straight line
aliment/o-
food; nourishment
alkal/o-
base (high pH)
allerg/o-
allergy
all/o-
other; strange
alopec/o-
bald
alveol/o-
alveolus (air sac)
ambly/o-
dimness
ambulat/o-
walking
amnes/o-
forgetfulness
amni/o-
amnion (fetal membrane)
amputat/o-
to cut off
amygdal/o-
almond shape
amyl/o-
carbohydrate; starch
anabol/o-
building up
analy/o-
to separate
anastom/o-
create an opening between two structures
ancill/o-
servant; accesory
andr/o-
male
aneurysm/o-
aneurysm (dilation)
angin/o-
angina
angi/o-
blood vessel; lymphatic vessel
anis/o-
unequal
ankyl/o-
fused together; stiff
an/o-
anus
antagon/o-
oppose; work against
anter/o-
before; front part
anthrac/o-
coal
anxi/o-
fear; worry
aort/o-
aorta
apher/o-
withdrawal
aphth/o-
ulcer
apic/o-
apex (tip)
appendic/o-
appendix
appendicul/o-
limb; small attached part
append/o-
small structure hanging from a larger structure; appendix
appercept/o-
fully perceived
aque/o-
watery substance
arachn/o-
spider; spider web
areol/o-
small area around the nipple
arteri/o-
artery
arteriol/o-
arteriole
arter/o-
artery
arthr/o-
joint
articul/o-
joint
asbest/o-
asbestos
ascit/o-
ascites
aspir/o-
to breathe in; to suck in
asthen/o-
lack of strength
asthm/o-
asthma
astr/o-
starlike structure
atel/o-
incomplete
ather/o-
soft, fatty substance
atheromat/o-
fatty deposit or mass
athet/o-
without position or place
atri/o-
atrium (upper heart chamber)
attenu/o-
weakened
audi/o-
the sense of hearing
audit/o-
the sense of hearing
augment/o-
increase in size or degree
aur/i-
ear
auricul/o-
ear
auscult/o-
listening
aut/o-
self
autonom/o-
independent; self-governing
axill/o-
axilla (armpit)
axi/o-
axis
bacteri/o-
bacterium
balan/o-
glans penis
bar/o-
weight
basil/o-
base of an organ
bas/o-
base of a structure; basic (alkaline)
behav/o-
activity; manner of acting
bili/o-
bile; gall
bilirubin/o-
bilirubin
bi/o-
life; living organisms; living tissue
blast/o-
immature; embryonic
blephar/o-
eyelid
botul/o-
sausage
brachi/o-
arm
bronchi/o-
bronchus
bronchiol/o-
bronchiole
bronch/o-
bronchus
brux/o-
to grind the teeth
buccinat/o-
cheek
bucc/o-
cheek
bulb/o-
structure like a bulb
bunion/o-
bunion
burs/o-
bursa
cac/o-
bad; poor
calcane/o-
calcaneous (heel bone)
calc/i-
calcium
calc/o-
calcium
cali/o-
calyx
calor/o-
heat
cancell/o-
lattice structure
cancer/o-
cancer
candid/o-
candida (a yeast)
can/o-
resembling a dog
capill/o-
hairlike structure; capillary
capn/o-
carbon dioxide
capsul/o-
capsule (enveloping structure)
carb/o-
carbon atoms
carbox/y-
carbon monoxide
carcin/o-
cancer
card/i-
heart
cardi/o-
heart
cari/o-
caries (tooth decay)
carot/o-
stupor; sleep
carp/o-
wrist
cartilagin/o-
cartilage
catabol/o-
breaking down
catheter/o-
catheter
caud/o-
tail bone
caus/o-
burning
cavit/o-
hollow space
cav/o-
hollow space
cec/o-
cecum
celi/o-
abdomen
cellul/o-
cell
centr/o-
center; dominant part
cephal/o-
head
cerebell/o-
cerebellum (posterior part of the brain)
cerebr/o-
cerebrum (largest part of the brain)
cervic/o-
neck; cervix
cheil/o-
lip
chem/o-
chemical; drug
chez/o-
to pass feces
chir/o-
hand
chlor/o-
chloride
cholangi/o
bile duct
chole/e-
bile; gall
chondr/o-
cartilage
chori/o-
chorion (fetal membrane)
chorion/o-
chorion (fetal membrane)
choroid/o-
choroid (middle layer around the eye)
chrom/o-
color
chron/o-
time
cid/o-
killing
cili/o-
hairlike structure
cin/e-
movement
cingul/o-
structure that surrounds
circulat/o-
movement in a circular route
circul/o-
circle
cirrh/o-
yellow
cis/o-
to cut
claudicat/o-
limping pain
claustr/o-
enclosed space
clavicul/o-
clavicle (collar bone)
clav/o-
clavicle (collar bone)
cleid/o-
clavicle (collar bone)
clinic/o-
medicine
clon/o-
identical group derived from one; rapid contracting and relaxing
coagul/o-
clotting
coarct/o-
pressed together
cocc/o-
spherical bacterium
coccyg/o-
coccyx (tail bone)
cochle/o-
cochlea (of the inner ear)
cognit/o-
thinking
coit/o-
sexual intercourse
coll/a-
fibers that hold together
col/o-
colon
colon/o
colon
colp/o-
vagina
comat/o-
unconsciousness
comminut/o-
break into small pieces
communicat/o-
impart; transmit
compens/o-
counterbalance; compensate
compress/o-
press together
compromis/o-
exposed to danger
compuls/o-
drive; compel
concept/o-
to conceive or form
concuss/o-
violent shaking or jarring
conduct/o-
carrying; conveying
conform/o-
having the same scale or angle
congenit/o-
present at birth
congest/o-
accumulation of fluid
coni/o-
dust
conjug/o-
joined together
conjunctiv/o
conjunctiva
con/o-
cone
constip/o-
compacted feces
constrict/o-
drawn together; narrowed
construct/o-
to build
contin/o-
hold together
contract/o-
pull together
contus/o-
bruising
converg/o-
coming together
convuls/o-
seizure
copr/o-
feces; stool
corne/o-
cornea (of the eye)
cor/o-
pupil (of the eye)
coron/o-
structure that encircles like a crown
corpor/o-
body
cortic/o-
cortex (outer region)
cosmet/o-
attractive; adorned
cost/o-
rib
crani/o-
cranium (skull)
crin/o-
secrete
cry/o-
cold
crypt/o-
hidden
cubit/o-
elbow
culd/o-
cul-de-sac
cusp/o-
projection; point
cutane/o-
skin
cut/i-
skin
cyan/o-
blue
cycl/o-
ciliary body (of the eye); circle; cycle
cyst/o-
bladder; fluid-filled sac; semisolid cyst
cyt/o-
cell
dacry/o-
lacrimal sac; tears
dactyl/o-
finger or toe
dec/i-
one tenth
decidu/o-
falling off
defici/o-
lacking; inadequate
degluti/o-
swallowing
delt/o-
triangle
delus/o-
false belief
dem/o-
people; population
dendr/o-
branching structure
densit/o-
density
dent/i-
tooth
dentit/o-
eruption of teeth
dent/o-
tooth
depend/o-
to hang onto
depress/o-
press down
derm/a-
skin
dermat/o-
skin
derm/o-
skin
desicc/o-
to dry up
dextr/o-
right; sugar
diabet/o-
diabetes
diaphor/o-
sweating
diaphragmat/o-
diaphragm
diaphys/o-
shaft of a bone
diastol/o-
dilating
didym/o-
testes (twin structures)
dietet/o-
foods; diet
diet/o-
foods; diet
differentiat/o-
being distinct; specialized
different/o-
being distinct; different
digest/o-
break down food; digest
digit/o-
digit (finger or toe)
dilat/o-
dilate; widen
dipl/o-
double
dips/o-
thirst
disk/o-
disk
dissect/o-
to cut apart
dissemin/o-
widely scattered throughout the body
distent/o-
distended; stretched
dist/o-
away from the center or point of origin
diverticul/o-
diverticulum
donat/o-
give as a gift
dors/o-
back; dorsum
dos/i-
dose
drom/-
a running
duc/o-
bring; move
duct/o-
bring; move; a duct
du/o-
two
duoden/o-
duodenum
dur/o-
dura mater
dynam/o-
power; movement
dyn/o-
pain
ecchym/o-
blood in the tissues
ech/o-
echo (sound wave)
eclamps/o-
a seizure
ectat/o-
dilation
ectop/o-
outside of a place
edentul/o-
without teeth
efface/o-
do away with; obliterate
effer/o-
go out from the center
effus/o-
a pouring out
ejaculat/o-
to expel suddenly
elast/o-
flexing; stretching
electr/o-
electricity
emaci/o-
to make thin
embol/o-
embolus (occluding plug)
embryon/o-
embryo; immature form
eme/o-
vomiting
emet/o-
vomiting
emiss/o-
to send out
emot/o-
moving; stirring up
emulsific/o-
particles suspended in a liquid
encephal/o-
brain
enter/o-
intestine
enucle/o-
to remove the main part
enur/o-
to urinate
eosin/o-
eosin (red acidic dye)
ependym/o-
cellular lining
epilept/o-
seizure
epiphys/o-
enlarged area at the end of a long bone
episi/o-
vulva
erect/o-
to stand up
erg/o-
activity; work
erupt/o-
breaking out
erythemat/o-
redness
erythro/o-
red
es/o-
inward
esophag/o-
esophagus
esethes/o-
sesation; feeling
esthet/o-
sensation; feeling
estr/a-
female
estr/o-
female
ethm/o-
sieve
eti/o-
cause of disease
etym/o-
word origin
exacerb/o-
increase; provoke
excis/o-
to cut out
excori/o-
to take out skin
excret/o-
removing from the body
exhibit/o-
showing
ex/o-
away from; external; outward
explorat/o-
to search out
express/o-
communicate
extens/o-
straightening
extern/o-
outside
extrins/o-
on the outside
exud/o-
oozing fluid
faci/o-
face
factiti/o-
artificial; made up
fallopi/o-
uterine (fallopian) tube
fasci/o-
fascia
fec/a-
feces; stool
fec/o-
feces; stool
femor/o-
femur (thigh bone)
fer/o-
to bear
ferrit/o-
iron
ferr/o-
iron
fertil/o-
able to conceive a child
fet/o-
fetus
fibrill/o-
muscle fiber; nerve fiber
fibrin/o-
fibrin
fibr/o-
fiber
fibul/o-
fibula (lower leg bone)
filtrat/o-
filtering; straining
filtr/o-
filter
fiss/o-
splitting
fixat/o-
to make stable or still
flatul/o-
flatus (gas)
flex/o-
bending
fluor/o-
fluorescence
foc/o-
point of activity
foli/o-
leaf
follicul/o-
follicle (small sac)
foramin/o-
foramen (opening into a cavity or channel)
forens/o-
court proceedings in criminal law
format/o-
structure; arrangement
fove/o-
small, depressed area
fract/o-
break up
fratern/o-
close association or relationship
front/o-
front
fruct/o-
fruit
fulgur/o-
spark of electricity
fund/o-
fundus (part farthest from the opening)
fundu/o-
fundus (part farthest from the opening)
fung/o-
fungus
fus/o-
pouring
galact/o-
milk
ganglion/o-
ganglion
gangren/o-
gangrene
gastr/o-
stomach
gemin/o-
set or group
gene/o-
gene
gener/o-
production; creation
genit/o-
genitalia
gen/o-
arising from; produced by
germin/o-
embryonic tissue
ger/o-
old age
gestat/o-
from conception to birth
gest/o-
from conception to birth
gigant/o-
giant
gingiv/o-
gums
glandul/o-
gland
glauc/o-
silver gray
glen/o-
socket of a joint
gli/o-
cell that provide support
glob/o-
shaped like a globe; comprehensive
globul/o-
shaped like a globe
glomerul/o-
glomerulus
gloss/o-
tongue
glott/o-
glottis (of the larynx)
gluc/o-
glucose (sugar)
glycer/o-
glycerol (sugar alcohol)
glyc/o-
glucose (sugar)
glycos/o-
glucose (sugar)
gnos/o-
knowledge
gonad/o-
gonads (ovaries and testes)
goni/o-
angle