Surgical Word Elements

Question 1

TOM/O
(tŏ‐mō)

Answer 1

Current: Cut, a section

Ety: Gr. tomos, cutting

Ex: Tomography, hylotomous

Question 2

STOM/O
(stō‐mō)

STOMAT/O
(stō‐mă‐tō)

Answer 2

Current: A mouth, an opening

Ety: Gr. stoma, stomatos, a mouth; opening

Ex: Xerostomia, stomatodynia

Loan word:
Stoma (stō′mă)
pl. stomata (stō′măt‐ă)

Question 3

PEX/O
(pĕ‐ksō)

‐PEXIS
(pĕk‐sĭs)

Answer 3

Current: Fixation, binding

Ety: Gr. pexis, a fixation, binding

Ex: Colopexostomy, hematopexis

Loan word:
Pexis (pek′sĭs)
pl. pexes (pek′sēz)

Question 4

RHAPH/O
(rā‐fō)

R(H)APHID/O
(rā‐fĭ‐dō)

Answer 4

Current: Seam, suture; R(H)APHID/O =
Needle, needle‐like

Ety: Gr. raphe, a suture, seam
Gr. rhaphis, rhaphidos, needle

Ex: Raphides

Loan word:
Rhaphe (or raphe) (rā′fē)
pl. rhaphes (rā′fēz)

Question 5

CLAST/O
(klăs‐tō)

‐CLAST
(klăst)

‐CLASIS
(klă‐sĭs)

‐CLASIA
(klā‐zē‐ă)

Answer 5

Current: Broken, breaking; ‐CLAST = A breaker of things; ‐CLASIS and ‐CLASIA = A breaking of something

Ety: Gr. klastos, broken

Ex: Glycoclastic, osteoclast, autoclasis

Question 6

SCOP/O
(skō‐pō)

Answer 6

Current: To view

Ety: Gr. skopeein, to look at, view

Ex: Scopophilia, microscopic

Question 7

SECT/O
(sĕk‐tō)

SEC/O
(sē‐kō)

Answer 7

Current: Cut, a section

Ety: L. secare, sectum, to cut

Ex: Bisection, secodont

Question 8

CIS/O
(sī‐sō)

‐CIDE
(sīd)

Answer 8

Current: Kill, cut

Ety: L. caedere, caesum, to cut, kill

Ex: Incision, vermicide

Question 9

TRIPT/O
(trip‐tō)

Answer 9

Current: crushing, grinding

Ety: Gr. tripsis, a rubbing, friction, massage

Ex: Lithotripter

Loan word:
Tripsis (trip′sĭs)
pl. Tripses (trip′sēz)

Question 10

TREPAN/O
(trĕ‐păn‐ō)

TREPHIN/O
(trē‐fī‐nō)

TRYPAN/O
(trĭ‐pă‐nō)

Answer 10

Current: Borer, drilling; TRYPAN‐ = Borer; a genus of parasitic protozoa called trypanosomes

Ety: L. trepanum, ‐i,
fr Gr. trypanon, a borer

Ex: Trepanation, trephine
trypanocide