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These combining forms usually appear at the beginning of terms, but they may certainly sometimes appear within or at the end of a term also. Use this handy table for reference.
Form | Meaning |
Adeno | gland |
Adreno | adrenal gland |
Angio | vessel |
Ano | anus |
Arterio | artery |
Arthro | joint |
Balano | glans penis |
Blepharo | eyelid |
Broncho | bronchus (windpipe) |
Cantho | canthus (angle at either end of Slit between eyelids) |
Capit | head |
Cardi- or cardio | heart |
Carpo | wrist |
Cephalo | head |
Cerebello | cerebellurn (part of brain) |
Cerebro | cerebrum (part of brain) |
Cheilo | lip (mouth) |
Chole | bile (Note: Chole plus cyst, meaning bladder, equals gallbladder; chole plus doch, meaning duct, equals choledocho or common bile duct.) |
Chondro | cartilage |
Chordo | cord or string (usually used in connection with the vocal cord or spermatic cord) |
Cilia | hair (Latin) |
Cleido | collarbone |
Coccygo | coccyx (end bone of the spinal column) |
Colpo | vagina |
Cordo | cord (usually vocal cord) |
Coxa | hip (Latin) |
Cranio | head |
Cysto | sac, cyst, or bladder (most often used in connection with the urinary bladder) |
Cyto | cell |
Dacryo | tear (used commonly in relation to tear duct or sac) |
Dento- or donto | tooth |
Derma | skin |
Duodeno | duodenum (part of small intestine) |
Emia | blood |
Encephalo | brain |
Entero | intestines |
Fascia | sheet or band of fibrous tissue (Latin) |
Fibro | fibers |
Gastro | stomach |
Genu | knee (Latin) |
Gingivo | gums |
Glomerulo | glomerulus (often a structure of the kidney) |
Glosso | tongue |
Gnatho | jaw |
Hallux | great toe (Latin) |
Hem, hema, hemo, hemato | blood |
Hepato | liver |
Hilus | pit or depression in an organ where vessels and nerves enter (Latin) |
Histio | tissue |
Hystero | uterus (Note: This term may also pertain to hysteria.) |
Ileo | ileum (part of small intestine) |
Ilio | flank or ilium (bone of the pelvis) |
Jejuno | jejunum (part of small intestine) |
Kerato | cornea or horny layer of the skin |
Labio | lips (either of mouth or vulva) |
Lacrimo | tears (used also in connection with tear ducts or sacs) |
Laparo | loin or flank (also refers to abdomen) |
Laryngo | larynx |
Linguo | tongue |
Lympho | lymph |
The list below covers just a few areas of interest that are, in fact, the foundations for learning the language of medicine - medical terminology. | Take a Spelling or Transcription Test Medword's Medical Word Spelling Test Go Medword's Medical Transcription Test Go Take a Prefixes Test Go Take a Suffixes Test Go |
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