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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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