Commonly Used Prefixes
COMMONLY USED PREFIXES



				PREFIX	                MEANING             	 			
				a-                     	not, without		
				ad-	   		to, toward
				adeno-			glandular
				ambi-			on both sides
				an-			not, without
				arthro-			joint
				auto-			self
				bi-			double, two, twice
				brachio-		arm
				brady-			slow
				Broncho			bronchi
				cardio-			heart
				chole-			gall or bile
				cholecysto-		gallbladder
				costo-			rib 
				cysto-			bladder
				derma-			skin
				dorso-			back
				dys-			difficult, abnormal
				entero-			pertaining to intestines
				eryth-			red
				extra-			outside of, in addition to          
				gastro-			stomach
				glosso-			tongue
				gyneco-			female
				hemato-			blood
				hemi-			half
				hemo-			blood
				hepato-			liver
				histo-			tissue
				hyper-  	        above, beyond, increased
				ileo-       	        intenstine
				leuko-          	white
				mal-      	        bad, poor
				neo-            	new 
				nephro-       		kidney  
				neuro-      	        nerve
				osteo-           	bone
				oto-      	        ear
				pan-            	all
				pneumo-    	        air
				pre-                	before  
				post-   	        after
				tachy-      	        fast
				vaso-        		a vessel


Return to Top

COMMONLY USED SUFFIXES

				SUFFIX			MEANING           

				-algia			pain
				-cele			tumor, swelling
				-cide			kill, destroy
				-ectomy			surgical removal of
				-emia			blood
				-genesis		origin, beginning
				-it is			inflammation of
				-lith			stone, calculus
				-lithiasis		presence of stones
				-lysis			disintegration
				-megaly			enlargement		
				-ology			science of, study of
				-osis			disease, condition
				-ostomy			to form an opening
				-plasty			repair, reconstruction
				-rhage			hemorrhage
				-rhea			excessive discharge


Return to Top
Carol's Homepage·Nursing Fundamentals Main Page