Prefixes, Combining Forms, and Suffixes for Medical Terms M-O Flashcards
Combining Form/Root
macr/o
Greek
large or abnormal size
Prefix
macro-
Greek
large or abnormal size
Combining Form/Root
macul/o
Latin
spot
Combining Form/Root
magn/o
Latin
great or large
Combining Form/Root
major/o
Latin
larger
Prefix
mal-
Latin
bad, poor, or evil
Combining Form/Root
malac/o
Greek
abnormal softening
Suffix
-malacia
Greek
abnormal softening
Combining Form/Root
malign/o
Latin
bad or evil
Combining Form/Root
malle/o
Latin
hammer
Combining Form/Root
malleol/o
Latin
little hammer
Combining Form/Root
mamm/o
Latin
breast or mammary gland
Combining Form/Root
man/i
Latin
rage or hand
Combining Form/Root
man/o
Latin
hand
Combining Form/Root
mandibul/o
Latin
lower jaw
Suffix
-mania
Latin + Greek
obsessive preoccupation
Combining Form/Root
manipul/o
Latin
handful or use of hands
Combining Form/Root
manubri/o
Latin
handle
Combining Form/Root
mastic/o
Latin + Greek
to chew
Combining Form/Root
mast/o
Latin
breast or mammary gland
Combining Form/Root
mastoid/o
Latin + Greek
mastoid process of temporal bone
Combining Form/Root
mastricat/o
Latin + Greek
bone to chew
Combining Form/Root
matern/o
Latin
of a mother
Combining Form/Root
matur/o
Latin
ripe
Combining Form/Root
maxill/o
Latin
upper jaw
Combining Form/Root
maxim/o
Latin
largest
Combining Form/Root
meat/o
Latin
opening or passageway
Prefix
med-
Latin
middle
Combining Form/Root
medi/o
Latin
middle
Combining Form/Root
mediastin/o
Latin
in the middle
Combining Form/Root
medic/o
Latin + Greek
medicine, healing, or doctor
Combining Form/Root
medicat/o
Latin
medication or healing
Combining Form/Root
medull/o
Latin
inner section, soft, or middle
Prefix
mega-
Greek
large
Combining Form/Root
megal/o
Greek
large
Suffix
-megaly
Greek
large or enlargement
Combining Form/Root
mei/o
Latin + Greek
less
Combining Form/Root
melan/o
Greek
black
Combining Form/Root
mellit/o
Latin
honey
Combining Form/Root
membran/o
Latin
thin skin
membrane
Combining Form/Root
men/o
Greek
menstruration
Combining Forms/Roots
mening/o or meningi/o
Latin + Greek
membrane lining the central nervous system
Combining Form/Root
menisc/o
Latin + Greek
crescent
Prefix
mens-
Latin
menstruation
Combining Form/Root
mens/o
Latin
menstruation
Combining Form/Root
ment/o
Latin
mind
Prefix
mes-
Latin + Greek
middle
Combining Form/Root
mes/o
Greek
middle
Combining Form/Root
mesenter/o
Latin + Greek
mesentery or middle intestine
Combining Form/Root
mesi/o
Greek
middle, or median, plane
Prefix
meta-
Greek
beyond, change, behind, after, or next
Combining Form/Root
metabol/o
Greek
change
Combining Form/Root
metacarp/o
Latin
beyond the carpus
Combining Form/Root
metatars/o
Latin
beyond the tarsus
Suffix
-meter
Greek
measuring device
Combining Forms/Roots
metr/i, metr/o, or metri/o
Greek
uterus
Combining Form/Root
mi/o
Greek
smaller or less
Combining Form/Root
micr/o
Greek
small
Prefix
micro-
Greek
small
one-millionth of the unit it precedes
Combining Forms/Roots
mictur/o or micturit/o
Latin
to urinate
Combining Form/Root
midsagitt/o
Latin
dividing into equal left and right halves
Prefix
milli-
Latin
one-thousanth
Suffix
-mimetic
Latin
mimic or copy
Combining Form/Root
mineral/o
Latin
naturally occuring non-organic solid substance
mineral
Combining Form/Root
minim/o
Latin
smallest
Combining Form/Root
minor/o
Latin
smaller
Prefix
mio-
Greek
smaller or less
Combining Form/Root
mit/o
Greek
thread
Combining Form/Root
mitr/o
Latin
miter having two points on top
Combining Form/Root
mobil/o
Latin
capable of moving
Combining Form/Root
mon/o
Greek
single or one
Combining Form/Root
monil/i
Latin
string of beads
Prefix
mono-
Greek
single or one
Combining Form/Root
morbid/o
Latin
disease
Combining Form/Root
moribund/o
Latin
dying
Combining Form/Root
morph/o
Greek
shape or form
Combining Forms/Roots
mort/i, mort/o, or mort/u
Latin
dead
Combining Form/Root
mortal/i
Latin
death
Combining Forms/Roots
mot/o or motil/o
Latin
movement
Combining Form/Root
muc/o or mucos/o
Latin + Greek
mucus
Prefix
multi-
Latin
many
Combining Form/Root
muscul/o
Latin
muscle
Combining Form/Root
mut/a
Latin
genetic change
Combining Form/Root
my/o
Greek
muscle
Combining Forms/Roots
myc/o or myc/e
Greek
fungus
Combining Form/Root
mydri/o
Latin + Greek
wide
Combining Form/Root
myel/o
Greek
spinal cord or bone marrow
white substance
Combining Form/Root
myocardi/o
Latin
heart muscle
Combining Form/Root
myom/o
Latin
muscle tumor
Combining Form/Root
myos/o
Latin + Greek
muscle
Combining Form/Root
myring/o
Latin
tympanic membrane
eardrum
Prefixes
myx- or myxo-
Latin + Greek
mucus or slime
Combining Form/Root
myx/o
Latin + Greek
mucus or slime
Prefix
myxa-
Latin + Greek
mucus
Combining Form/Root
nar/i
Latin
nostril
Combining Form/Root
narc/o
Latin + Greek
numbness or stupor
Combining Forms/Roots
nas/i or nas/o
Latin
nose
Combining Form/Root
nat/i
Latin
birth
Combining Form/Root
natr/o
Latin
sodium
Combining Form/Root
nause/o
Latin + Greek
sick feeling to stomach
Combining Form/Root
necr/o
Greek
death
Suffix
-necrosis
Greek
death of tissue
Combining Form/Root
ne/o
Greek
new
Prefix
neo-
Greek
new
Combining Form/Root
nephr/o
Greek
kidney
Prefix
nephra-
Greek
kidney
Combining Form/Root
nerv/o
Latin + Greek
nerve
Prefix
neu-
Greek
nerves
Combining Form/Root
neur/i or neur/o
Greek
nerve
Combining Form/Root
neutr/o
Latin
neither or neutral
Combining Form/Root
nigr/o
Latin
black
Prefix
niter-
Latin + Greek
nitrogen
Prefix
nitro-
Greek
nitrogen
Combining Form/Root
noct/i
Latin
night
Combining Form/Root
nod/o
Latin
know or swelling
Combining Form/Root
nodul/o
Latin
little knot
Combining Form/Root
nom/o
Greek
control
Prefix
non-
Latin
no
Prefixes
non-, nona-, or nonus-
Latin
nine
prefix
nor-
Chemical Term
normal or parent compound
Combining Form/Root
norm/o
Latin
usual
Combining Form/Root
not/o
Greek
back
Prefix
novem-
Latin
nine
Combining Form/Root
nuch/o
Latin
nape
Combining Form/Root
nucle/o
Latin
nucleus
Prefix
nulli-
Latin
none
Combining Form/Root
numer/o
Latin
count or number
Combining Form/Root
nunci/o
Latin
messenger
Combining Forms/Roots
nutri/o or nutrit/o
Latin
nourishment or food
Combining Forms/Roots
nyct/o or nyctal/o
Greek
night
Prefix
o-
Greek
egg
Prefix
ob-
Latin
against
Combining Form/Root
obes/o
Latin
extremely fat
Combining Form/Root
obliqu/o
Latin
slanted or sideways
Combining Form/Root
oblongat/o
Latin
oblong or elongated
Combining Forms/Roots
obstetr/o or obstetr/i
Latin
one who receives
Combining Form/Root
occipit/o
Latin
back of the skull
Combining Forms/Roots
occlud/o or occlus/o
Latin
to close up
Combining Form/Root
occult/o
Latin
hidden
Prefixes
octa-, octo-, or oct-
Greek
eight
Combining Form/Root
ocul/o
Latin
eye
Prefix
oculo-
Latin
eye
Combining Form/Root
odont/o
Greek
tooth
Suffix
-oid
Greek
like or resembling
Combining Form/Root
olecran/o
Greek
proximal projection on the ulna
Combining Form/Root
olfact/o
Latin
smell
Prefix
oligo-
Greek
scanty
Suffix
-ologist
Greek
specialist
Suffix
-ology
Greek
study of
Suffix
-oma
Greek
tumor, mass, or neoplasm
usually benign
Combining Form/Root
oment/o
Latin
omentum, or fat
Combining Form/Root
onc/o
Greek
tumor
Combining Form/Root
onych/o
Greek
claw or nail
Combining Form/Root
oo/o
Greek
egg
Combining Form/Root
oophor/o
Greek
ovary
Combining Forms/Roots
opac/o or opacit/o
Latin
shaded or dark
Combining Forms/Roots
oper/o or operat/o
Latin
to work or perform
Combining Form/Root
opercul/o
Latin
lid or cover
Combining Form/Root
ophthalm/o
Greek
eye
Prefix
-opia, -opsia, -opsis, or -opsy
Greek
vision
Combining Form/Root
opisth/o
Greek
backward
Combining Forms/Roots
opti/o, opt/i, or opt/o
Greek
eye
Combining Form/Root
optic/o
Latin + Greek
vision
Combining Form/Root
or/o
Latin
mouth
Combining Form/Root
orbit/o
Latin
circle, bony cavity, or socket
Combining Forms/Roots
orch/o, orchi/o, or orchid/o
Greek
testes
Combining Forms/Roots
orex/i or orect/i
Greek
appetite
Combining Form/Root
organ/o
Latin + Greek
organ
Combining Form/Root
orth/o
Greek
straight, normal, or correct
Prefix
ortho-
Greek
straight, normal, or correct
Prefix
os-
Latin
mouth or bone
Suffix
-osis
Greek
abnormal condition
Combining Form/Root
osm/o
Greek
smell or odor
pushing
Suffix
-osmia
Greek
smell or odor
Combining Forms/Roots
oss/e or oss/i
Latin
bone
Combining Form/Root
oste/o
Greek
bone
Suffix
-osteomosis or -ostomy
Greek
surgically creating an opening
Combining Form/Root
ot/o
Greek
ear or hearing
Suffix
-otomy
Greek
cutting into
Suffix
-ous
Latin
pertaining to
Combining Forms/Roots
ov/o or ov/i
Latin
egg
Combining Form/Root
ovari/o
Latin
ovary
Combining Forms/Roots
ox/o, ox/y, or ox/i
Greek
oxygen
Combining Form/Root
oxid/o
Latin
containing oxygen
Prefix
oxy-
Greek
sharp, acid, quick, or oxygen
