ABBREVIATIONS 



PREFIXES AND SUFFIXES USED IN MEDICAL TERMS. 



PREFIXES. 



A-, an-, called alpha privative (Gr. a, a.v, or a/x), the equiva- 

 lent of our prefix, mi-, or in-, denotes an absence or want 

 of the thing or quality expressed by the principal; e. g., 

 adynamia, anaerobic, aphasia, apraxia, apyrexia, 

 astigmatism, atony, etc. a is used before consonants, 

 an before vowels, and, rarely, am before bl or br. (To 

 be distinguished from ana.) 



Ad- (ad), to, at, toward, as, adduction, adhesion. The d is 

 often changed in the compound to correspond ic the next 

 letter, as accretion, appendix. 



Al-(Arab.) article the; e.g., alchemy, the secret art; alcohol, 

 the very subtle. 



Amphi- (or amph-) (a/u.cf>i), upon both sides, in two ways, as in 

 amphiarthrosis , amphibia, etc. 



Ana- (dvd). Up, through, again ; e. g., anabolism, anasarca, 

 anatomy, etc. 



Anti- (or ant-) (dvri). Against, opposed to, opposite of; as 

 antaphrodisiac, antibrachium, antipyretic, antiseptic, etc. 



Apo- (dno). Off, away, upon ; e.g., aponeurosis, apoplexy, etc. 



Auto- (aurds). Self; as autopepsia, autopsy. 



Bary- (fiapvs). Heavy, difficult ; as barymezia baiyphonia, etc. 



Bi-, bin- (bis). Twice, twofold ; e. g., bicuspid, bivalent, binoc- 

 ular, binaural. 



Bio- (0i'o{). Life, e.g., bioplasm, biology, biolysis. 



Brach- (fipaxiuiv). Arm, pertaining to the arm ; as brachialgia, 

 brachioncus. 



Broncho- (3poyx°?)- Pertaining to the trachea; as bronchor- 

 rhagia, bronchotomy. 



Cardi-, cardio- (xapSia). Pertaining to the heart, as cardio- 

 gram, cardialgia. 



Celio-, coelio- (icoiAia). Pertaining to the belly, as celiotomy, 

 cceliac. 



Chiro- (x et p). The hand. Chiragra, chiropodist. 



Co-, con-. Together, along with ; e.g., coitus, congenital. 



Dacryo- (SaKpvov). A tear, pertaining to a tear ; as dacryoid, 

 dacryo-cystitis. 



Dactyl- (8olktv\os). A finger; pertaining to the fingers; as 

 dactyl/'tis, dactvlion, dactylate. 



Dermo-, dermato- (hipp.o). The skin ; pertaining to the skin ; 

 e g., dermotomy, dermatolysis. 



Di- (Si's). Twice, double ; as dimorphism, digastric. 



Dia- (Sid). Through. Examples: diabetes, diag?wsis, dia- 

 phragm, diarrhea, etc. 



Dyn- (Svvap.i^). Force, power ; dynamogeny, dynamograph. 



Dys- (Svs). Difficult, defective, painful ; e.g., dysentery, dysp- 

 nea, dysuria. 



Ec-, ex-, ecto- (ex, ef , <?kt6s). Out, outside, away from ; as 

 in ecchymoses, ecdemic, eclampsia, exostosis, exanthema, 

 ectropion, ectoderm. 



En-, em- (kv, ip.). In, within ; as in embryo, embolism, en- 

 demic, etc. 



Endo-, ento- (e^rds). Within, internal; e. g., endarteritis, 

 endoscope, entoblast, entoptic. 



Entero- (evrepov). The intestine ; as in enterocele, enter- 

 ostomy, etc. 



Epi- (int). Upon, over, above; e. g., epiblast, epicranium, 

 epistaxis, epidemic, etc. 



Extra- (Lat.). Outside; e. g., extravasation, extroversion. 



Galact- (yd\a). Milk : asgalactocele,galactozemia,galaciuria. 



Gastro- (yacrnjp). The stomach ; relation to the stomach ; 

 e.g., gastrocele, gastrocnemius, gastroenterostomy, etc 



Genio- (yevelov). Pertaining to the chin ; e. g., geniohyoglos- 

 sus, geniohyoid. 



Glosso- (-yAio-o-a). Pertaining to the tongue. See glossology, 

 glossoplegia, glossophytia. 



Haema-, haemato- or hemo- (5ip.a). The blood ; pertaining to 

 the blood. See hematemesis, hematoma, hemorrhage, etc 



Hemi- (qfii-7)/oucri/s). Half; as in hemiachromatopsia, hemi- 

 crania, hemiplegia. 



Hepat- trfirap). The liver ; pertaining to the liver. See hepat- 

 emphraxis, hepatization, hepatopostema. 



Hetera- («T«jro«). Different; opposite; e. g., heteroinfection, 

 heterologous, heteropathy. 



Hydro-, hydr- (iiSiop). Water; resembling or relating to water, 

 dropsy, etc.; as in hydremia, hydragogue, hydrate, 

 hydrocephalus, etc. 



Hyper'- (inrip). Excess; exaggerated abnormality in amount, 

 size, quality, etc. See hyperesthesia, hypermetropia, 

 hyperpyrexia, hypertrophy, and others. 



Hypno- dWos). Sleep. See hypnopathy, hypnotism. 



Hypo- (i/iro). Diminution as to degree, amount, size, quality, 

 etc., or that located under or beneath ; e. g.,hyposthenia, 

 hypoblast, hypochondriac, hypodermatic, hypoglossal. 



Hystera-, hystero- (iiaripa). Tin- uterus or womb; relation 

 to the uterus; e.g., hysterectomy, hystero epilepsy, 

 hysteropexia, etc 



11*0- [flfiim). Pertaining to the ileum • e. g., ileo-colitis, ilea- 

 typhus. 



Ilio- (Ilium). Pertaining to the ilium ; e.g., iliofemoral, ilio- 

 lumbar. 



Im-, in- (In). Privative, negative ; as imperforate , incarcer- 

 ation, insane, incontinence. 



In- (ev). In, within, upon, by; as incubation, infarction, in- 

 flammation, inoculation, etc. 



Infra- (Infra). Beneath, below ; e.g., inframaxillary, in- 

 frascapular. 



Inter- (Inter). Between. See intercellular , intercostal, inter- 

 trigo, and others. 



Intra- (Intra). Within, inside of, as intra-arlicular, intra- 

 uterine. 



lso- (i<ros). Equal, like; e.g., isometric, isothermal, isopathy. 



Kata-, kath- (icaTa). Down, through ; as katabolism , /catatonia, 

 kathode. 



Leuko- (Aevicos). Whiteness; e. g., leukemia, leukocyte, 

 leukomain , leukorrhea. 



Lith-, litho- (AiOos). Pertaining to stone, calculus, or lithic 

 acid. See lithemia, lithiasis, lithotripsy, etc. 



Macro- (p.axpds). Largeness, hypertrophy ; as in macroglossia, 

 macromelia. 



Mai- (Malus). Bad ; as malformation, malpractice, malaria 



Melano- (p.eAas). Blackness, pigmentation ; e g., melancholia, 

 melano-sarcoma. 



Meso- (ixiaos). The middle ; e.g., mesoblast, mesocolon, etc. 



Meta- (p.erd). With, after; e. g., metabolism, metatarsus. 



Micro- (p-ticpos). Smallness ; e.g., micrococcus, microglossia, 

 microscope. 



Mon-, mono- (p.6vo$). Singleness. For example, monamin, 

 monomania, monorchis. 



Morpho- (p.op<f>rj). Shape, form ; e.g., morphography , morphol- 

 ogy, morphometry. 



Multi- (multus). Number, many ; e. g., multilocula, < , multi- 

 parous. 



Myelo- (nucAds). Referring to the brain or spinal cord ; as 

 myeloid, myelitis. 



Myo- (p.us). Pertaining to a muscle or to muscularity. See 

 myocarditis, myoma, myopathy. 



Neo- (ve'os). New, recent, young ; as neogala, neo-membrane, 

 neoplasm. 



Nephr- (vefoos). Pertaining to the kidney; e. g., nephra- 

 postasis, nephria. nephritis. 



Neuro- (vivpov). Relating to a nerve or tc neurology. Intheori- 

 ginal Greek the word meant a cord or tendon,— neurosis, 

 the stringing of the bow. It is now applied only to 

 nerve-structure; as, e. g., neuralgia, neurasthenia, 

 neurilemma, neuroglia. 



Ob- (Ob). In front of, against, denoting hindrance or ob- | 

 struction ; e. g., obstruent, obturator , occlusion, o{~ I 

 ponens. 



Odonto- (65ods). Of the teeth ; as odontology , odontali 



Oligo- (oAeyos). Fewness or lack of, as oligocythemia. 



Ophthalmo- (b<j>9a\p.6<;). Pertaining to the eye, as ophthal- 

 mia, ophthalmoplegia. 



Ortho- (op86s). Straight, upright, correct. See orthc 

 orthopedia, orthopraxis. 



Osteo- (bareov). Referring to bone. See osteoblast, oslt 

 ttis, osteoplastic. 



Oto- (ofls). Pertaining to the ear, as otorrhea, otophone. 



Oxy- (vfus). Denoting the presence of oxygen, or acidi 

 oxygen, oxyhemoglobin. 



Pan-, Pant- (fas, Trap). All, every, universal ; as pan 

 pangenesis, pantomorphic. 



Para- (napd). Through, near, by, by the side of, abiiormalit 

 Examples: paracentesis, paresthesia, parenchyma, pai- 

 otid. 



Peri- (ntpi). About, around. See, e. g., pericardium, pen-i 

 meter, perilymph, periosteum. 



Pod- (ttous). Pertaining to the foot, as podalgia. po 



Poly-, pol- (ttoAv?). Many, much ; /'. g., polycona, fiol 

 tia, polyuria. 



Pras-, pre- (PrceS. Before ; e.g., prcecordia, preput 



Pro- (n-pd). Before, down ; as in process, procidentia, p> 

 proptosis, 



Proc-, procto- (rrpuiKroi) The anus, pertaining to the ami- 

 e. g., proctitis, proctoplegia. 



Pseudo- (ycvSris). False, spurious ; as in pseudarthiosts, t 

 cyests. 



Pyo- (irvov). Pertaining to pus or purulency : e 

 pyosalpinx, 



Pyr-, pyro- (rrup). Concernine fire or heat, 01 inllaminatu 

 e. g.,pyrosrenous, pyrexia. 



Retro- (Retro)'. Backward, behind; e. c. >eti 

 version. 



Rhin-, Rhino- (pi's). Pertaining to the nose, as rhinoplasty, i 

 rhinitis. ' 



Semi- (Semis). Half, partly, almost, as seinicaptum, semi-, 

 lunar. 



