Word Parts
What does Prefix mean?
Beginning element of a word root that adds meaning (i.e. size, #)
Brady-
Slow
Ven, phleb
vein
Ur, urin
urine
-oma
tumor
What is a combining vowel?
Vowel added between word root and/or suffix to ease
pronunciation
Tachy-
Fast, rapid
Arteri
artery
Adip, lip
fat
-pathy
disease
What is a word root?
Basic meaning “core” of the medical term
Hypo-
Low, below, under
Angi, vas
vessel
Thromb
clot
-itis
inflammation
Ending after a word root that changes or adds meaning to the word root
Hyper-
high, too much
Oste
bone
Hem, hemat
blood
-lysis
breakdown
What is a combining form?
Word root combined with a vowel
Pre-
before
My
muscle
Hist
tissue
-poiesis
formation
Post-
after
Nephr, ren
kidney
Path
disease
-rrhage
abnormal flow, discharge
endo, intra
within, in
Cardi
heart
Erythr
red
-stasis
stopping, controlling
a, an, ar
Without
Cutane, derm, dermat
skin
Cyan
blue
-penia
deficiency
dys
bad, painful
Bucc
cheek
Leuk
white
-osis
abnormal condition
scler
hard
Chondr
cartilage
gluc, glyc
sugar
-ectomy
removal, excision
anti
against
ac, al, ar, ary, ic, tic, ous
pertaining to
ab-
-emia
blood condition
sub-
phag-
eat, swallow