Roots, Prefixes, Suffixes, & Combining Forms Flashcards
a-
no, not, w/o, away from, negative
ab-
away from, negative, absent
abdomin/o
abdomen
-able
capable of, able to
abrad/o, abras/o
rub/scrape off
abrupt/o
broken away from
abs-
away from
abscess/o
collection of pus
-acious
characterized by
acid/o
acid
acous/o, acoust/o
hearing, sound
acr/o
extremities, top, extreme point
actin/o
light
acu/o
sharp, severe, sudden
ad-
toward, to, in the direction of
aden/o
gland
adenoid/o
adenoids
adhes/o
stick to, cling to
adip/o
fat
adnex/o
bound to
adren/o, adrenal/o
adrenal gland
aer/o
air, gas
af-
toward, to, near
affect/o
exert influence on
agor/a
marketplace
-agra
excessive pain, seizure
agglutin/o
clumping, sticking, together
-aise
comfort, ease
alb/o, albin/o
white
albumin/o
albumin, protein
alg/o, alges/o
pain, relationship/sensitivity to pain
-algesia
pain, sensitivity
-algia
pain, suffering, painful condition
align/o
bring into line/correct position
aliment/o
to nourish, nutrition, nourishment
all/o, all-
other, different than normal, reversal
alopec/o
baldness
alveol/o
alveolus, air sac, small sac
ambi-
both sides, around/about, double
ambly/o
dull, dim
ambulat/o
walking, to move about
-amine
nitrogen compound
amni/o
amnion, fetal membrane
amput/o
cut away, cut off body part
amyl/o
starch, carbohydrate
an-
not, without
ana-
up, apart, excessive
an/o
anus, ring
-ancy
state of
andr/o
male, masculine
aneurysm/o
aneurysm
angi/o
blood/lymph vessels
anis/o
unequal
ankyl/o
crooked, bent, stiff, fused together
anomal/o
irregularity
-ant
substance that promotes
ante-
before, in front of, forward
anter/o
before, front
anti-
against
anxi/o
anxiety, anxious, uneasy
aort/o
aorta
ap-
toward, to
-apheresis
removal
aphth/o
ulcer
apic/o
apex, tip
ap-, apo-
separation, away from, opposed, detached
append/o, appendic/o
appendix
aque/o
water
-arch, -arche
beginning
areat/o
in patches/circumscribed areas
areol/o
little open space, space around nipple
-aria
connected w/
arter/o, arteri/o
artery
arteriol/o
arteriole
arthr/o
joint
articul/o
joint
as-
toward, to
-ase
enzyme
aspir/o, aspirat/o
to breathe in, removal
assay
to analyze
-asthenia
weakness, lack of strength
asthm/o
asthma
astr/o
star, star-shaped
at-
toward, to
atel/o
imcomplete, imperfect
ather/o
plaque, fatty substance
-ation
state/action, process/condition
atri/o
atrium (of heart)
attenu/o
diluted, weakened
audi/o, audit/o
ear, hearing, sense of hearing
aur/i
ear, hearing
auscult/a, auscult/o
listen
aut/o
self
axill/o
armpit
azot/o
nitrogen
bacteri/o
bacteria
balan/o
glans penis
bar/o
pressure, weight
bas/o
base, opposite of acid (alkaline)
bi/o
life
bi-
twice, double, two, both
bifid/o
split, divided into 2 parts
bil/i
bile, gall
bilirubin/o
bilirubin
bin-
two
-blast
embryonic, immature, formative element, developing cell
belphar/o
eyelid
bol/o
cast, throw
brachi/o
arm
brachy-
short
brady-
slow
bronchi/o, bronch/o
bronchial tube, bronchus
bronchiol/o
bronchiole, bronchiolus
brux/o
grind
bucc/o
cheek
burs/o
bursa, sac of fluid near joint
calcane/o
calcaneus, heel bone
calc/i
calcium, line, the heel
cacli0, calc/o
calcium
calcul/o
stone, little stone
cali/o, calic/o
cup-like structure, calyx
calor/i
heat
canth/o
corner of eye
capill/o
hair
capit/o
head
capn/o
CO2, sooty/smoky appearance
-capnia
carbon dioxide
capsul/o
little box
carb/o
carbon
carcin/o
cancerous
-carcinoma
cancerous tumor
cardi/o, card/o
heart
cari/o
caries, tooth decay
carp/o
wrist bones
catabol/o
breaking down
caud/o
lower body part, tail
caus/o
burning, burn, heat
cauter/o
heat, burn
cav/o
hollow, cave
cec/o
cecum
-cele
hernia, tumor, swelling
celi/o
abdomen, belly
-centesis
surgical puncture to remove fluid
-ceps
heads
cephal/o
head
cerebell/o
cerebellum
cerebr/o
cerebrum, brain
cerumen/o
cerumen
cervic/o
neck, cervix
cheil/o
lip(s)
chem/o
drug, chemical
-chezia
defecation, elimination of waste
chir/o
hand
chol/e
bile, gall
cholangi/o
bile duct, bile, vessel
cholecyst/o
gallbladder
choledoch/o
common bile duct
cholesterol/o
cholesterol
chondr/i, chondr/o
cartilage
chori/o, chorion/o
chorion, membrane
choroid/o
choroid layer of eye
chrom/o
color
chron/o
time
-cide
causing death, to kill
cili/o
eyelashes
cine-
movement
circulat/o
circulate, go in circle
circum-
around
cirrh/o
orange-yellow, tawny
cis/o
to cut
-clasis, -clast
to break down
claudicat/o
to limp
claustr/o
barrier, enclosed space
clavicul/o, cleid/o
clavicle, collar bone
clon/o
violent action
-clysis
irrigation, washing
co-
together, with
coagul/o
clotting, coagulation
coarct/o, coarctat/o
press together, narrow
cocc/o
spherical bacteria
coccyg/o
coccyx, tailbone
cochle/o
spiral, snail, snail shell, cochlea
coit/o
coming together
col/o
colon, large intestine
colp/o
vagina
coll/a
glue
colon/o
colon, large intestine
com-
together, with
comat/o
deep sleep
comi/o
to care for
comminut/o
break into pieces
communic/o
share, to make common
con-
together, with
concav/o
hollow
concept/o
become pregnant
concuss/o
shaken together, violently agitated
coni/o
dust
congest/o
accumulation of fluid
conjunctiv/o
conjunctiva
constrict/o, -constriction
draw tightly together, narrowing
contin/o
hold together
contra-
against, counter, opposite
contus/o
bruise
convex/o
arched, valuted
convuls/o
pull together
cor/o
pupil
cordi/o
heart
corne/o
cornea
coron/o
coronary, crown, heart
corpor/o
body
cortic/o
cortex, outer region
cost/o
rib
crani/o
skull
-crasia
mixture, blending
creatin/o
creatinine
crin/o, -crine
to secrete, separate
-crit
to separate
cry/o
cold
crypt/o
hidden
cubit/o
elbow
culd/o
culd-de-sac, blind pouch
-cusis
hearing
cusp/o
point
cutane/o
skin
cyan/o
blue
cycl/o
ciliary body of eye, cycle
-cyesis
state of pregnancy
cyst/o
urinary bladder, cyst, sac of fluid
cyt/o, -cyte
cell
dacry/o
tear, lacrimal duct
dacryocyst/o
lacrimal sac
dactyl/o
finger, toe
de-
down, lack of, from, not, removal, less
deci-
ten, tenth
decidu/o
shedding, falling off
delt/o
greek letter delta, triangular shape
delus/o
delude, cheat
dem/o
people, population
demi-
half
dendr/o
branching, resesmbling a tree
dent/i, dent/o
tooth, teeth
depress/o
press down, lower, pressed/sunk down
-derm
embryonic layer
-derma, dermat/o, derm/o
skin
desicc/o
drying, to dry
-desis
to bind, tie together
dextr/o
right side
di-
twice, twofold, double
dia-, di-
through, between apart, complete
diaphor/o
sweat, profuse sweating
diaphragmat/o
diaphragm
didym/o
testes, twins
digest/o
digest, break down food
digit/o
digit, finger, toe
dilat/o
spread out, widen, enlarge, expand
dipl/o
double
dips/o, -dipsia
thirst
dis-
negative, apart, absence of
dissect/o
cutting apart
dist/o
far, away from origin, distant
distend/o
stretch apart, expand
diverticul/o
diverticulum
dont/o
tooth
dors/o, dorsi-
back of body
-dote
what is given
-drome,
to run, running
-duct
opening
duct/o
to lead, carry
duoden/o
duodenum
dur/o
dura mater
-dynia
pain
dys-
bad, difficult, painful
e-
out of, from, away from
ec-
out, outside
ecchym/o
pouring out of blood, blood in tissues
ech/o
sound wave, echo, reflected sound
-ectasis, -ectasia
stretching, dilation, enlargement
ecto-
out, outside
-ectomy
surgical removal, cutting out, excision
-ectopy
displacement
-edema
swelling
edentul/o
without teeth
ef-
out of, outside
effus/o
pouring out
ejaculat/o
throw/hurl out
electr/o
electricity, electric
em-
in
-ema
condition
embol/o
something inserted/thrown
embry/o
fertilized ovum, embryo
-emesis
vomiting
emet/o
vomit
-emia
blood, blood condition
-emic
pertaining to blood condition
en-
in, within, into
encephal/o
brain
end-, endo-
in, within, inside
enter/o
intestine (small)
ento-
within
epi-
above, upon, on, over
epididym/o
epididymis
epiglott/o
epiglottis
episi/o
vulva
-er
one who
erect/o
upright
erg/o
work
erupt/o
break out, burst forth
erythemat/o, erythem/o
flushed, redness
erythr/o
red
es-
out of, outside, away from
-esis
action, condition, state of
eso-
inward
esophag/o
esophagus
-esthesia
sensation, feeling
esthesi/o, esthes/o
nervous sensation
-esthet/o
feeling, nervous sensation, sense of perception
estr/o
female
ethm/o
sieve, ethmoid bone
eti/o
cause of disease
eu-
good, normal, well, easy
-eurysm
widening
ex-
out of, outside, away from
exacerb/o
aggravate, irritate
excori/o
abrade/scratch
excret/o
separate, discharge
exo-
out of, outside, away from, outward
expector
cough up
extern/o
outside, outer
extra-
on the outside, beyond, outside
extrins/o
from outside, contained outside
exud/o
to sweat, exude fluid
