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Anatomy

Anatomy

by jwanders, Nov. 2012

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	abdomen	Latin abdomen = the belly, the part of the trunk between thorax and the perineum, adjective - abdominal.
	abducent	Latin ab = from, and ducens = led, hence, moving from, or effecting separation.
	abduction	Latin ab = from, and ductum = led, hence, movement from; verb - abduct.
	aberrant	Latin ab = from, and errare = to wander, hence, deviating from normal.
	accessory	adjective, Latin accessum = added, hence, supplementary.
	accommodation	Latin ad = to, and modus = measure, hence, adaptation of the optical power (focussing) of the eye for shorter distances.
	acetabulum	Latin acetum = vinegar (cf. acetic), and abulum = small receptacle, hence, a vinegar cup, hence, the socket for the head of the femur, adjective - acetabular.
	acoustic	adjective, Greek akoustikos, related to hearing.
	acromion	Greek akros = summit (cf. Acropolis) and omos = shoulder, hence, the tip of the shoulder.
	adduction	Latin ad = to, and ductum = led, hence, movement towards; verb - adduct.
	adenoid	Greek aden = a gland, eidos = shape or form.
	adhesion	Latin ad = to, and haesus = stuck, hence, stuck to, e.g., interthalamic adhesion - variable and functionally insignificant.
	adipose	Latin adeps = fat, hence fatty
	aditus	Latin ad = to, towards, iter = a way, hence an opening or entrance.
	adrenal	Latin ad = towards, at, ren = kidney, hence situated near the kidney (see suprarenal)
	adrenergic	adjective, Latin ad = at, ren = kidney, and Greek ergon = work, hence, stimuli which cause the adrenal (suprarenal) gland to produce adrenaline. Used to specify neurons or pathways which use adrenaline as a transmitter.
	afferent	adjective, Latin ad = to, and ferent = carrying (cf. ferry), hence, carrying to, e.g., axons carrying information from retina to lateral geniculate nucleus are afferents to that nucleus.
	agger nasi	Latin = eminence of the nose.
	agonist	Greek agonistes = rival, hence, a muscle in apparent contest with another. Used for a prime mover.
	ala	Latin wing, hence a wing-like process; plural - alae.
	alaeque	Latin ala = wing (ala of nose), suffix -que = and, hence levator labii superioris alaeque nasi muscles = lifter of the upper lip and ala of nose.
	alba	Latin albus = white
	albicans	Latin = becoming white; albus = white
	albuginea	Latin albus = white, Greek gen = form, hence, like boiled white of an egg.
	alimentary	adjective, Latin alimentum = food, e.g., alimentary canal.
	allantois	Greek allantos = sausage, eidos = like, form.
	allocortex	Greek allos = other (than usual), and Latin cortex = bark, hence non-laminated external grey matter. It refers to paleo- or archi-cortex, as distinct from neocortex.
	alveolus	Latin a basin, hence any small hollow. Plural - alveoli, adjective - alveolar.
	alveus	Latin = tray. The allusion is unclear. The alveus is a layer of fibres on the free surface of the hippocampus.
	ambiguus	adjective, Latin = doubtful (nucleus ambiguus).
	ampulla	Latin = a two-handed flask, a local dilatation of a tube.
	amygdaloid	adjective, Greek amygdala = almond, and eidos = shape or form, hence, amygdaloid body is an almond-shaped mass.
	amylacea	Greek amylon = starch, hence, starchy.
	anaesthesia	Greek an = negative, and aisthesis = sensation, hence, loss of sensation; adjective - anaesthetic.
	analgesia	Greek an = negative, and algesis = pain, hence insensibility to pain; adjective - analgesic.
	analogous	Greek ana = up, apart, towards, and logos = word. A part with similar function through different morphology e.g., fish gills and mammalian lungs (c.f. homologous).
	anastomosis	Greek ana = of each, and stoma = mouth, hence the end-to-end continuity of 2 vessels; adjective - anastomotic.
	anatomy	Greek ana = up, and tome = a cutting, hence cutting up of a body (c.f. dissection).
	anconeus	Greek ancon = elbow, hence the muscle attached to the (lateral surface of the) olecranon.
	aneurysm	Greek angeion = blood vessel, and eurys = wide, hence a pathological dilatation of a blood vessel.
	angiography	Greek angeion (v.s.) and graphe = a record, hence a picture of a blood vessel which has been injected with a dye or radiopaque material.
	anhidrosis	(anhydrosis, anidrosis) Greek an = negative, and hidros = sweat, hence absence of sweating, typical of skin deprived of its sympathetic innervation.
	ankle	the region between the leg and the foot.
	annulus	diminutive of Latin anus = ring, hence little ring.
	ansa	Latin a handle or loop. Applicable to nerves.
	anserinus	Latin anser = a goose, hence like a goose, plural - anserina.
	antagonist	Greek anti = against, and agonistes = rival, hence a muscle which may oppose an agonist.
	anteflexion	Latin ante = before, and flexere = to bend, hence anterior angulation between the body and cervix of the uterus.
	anterior	comparative of Latin ante = before, in front.
	anteversion	Latin ante = before, and versum = turned, hence, the anterior angulation between cervix uteri and the vagina.
	antidromic	adjective, Greek a = negative, and dromos = current, hence conducting in the opposite direction to the usual.
	antrum	Greek antron - cave, hence a space in a bone or organ.
	anulus	diminutive of Latin anus = ring, hence little ring.
	anus	Latin = ring, adjective - anal.
	aponeurosis	Greek apo = from, and neuron = tendon (later applied to nerve cell and its fibres), used for sheet-like tendons. Adjective - aponeurotic.
	apophysis	Greek apo = from, and physis = growth, hence, a bony process - reserved for the articular process of a vertebra; adjective - apophysial.
	appendage	Latin appendere = to hang on, supplement.
	appendix	Latin appendere = to hang on, supplement.
	apposition	Latin appositus = placed at, hence, in contact, in juxtaposition.
	aqueduct	Latin aqua = water, and ductus = drawn or led off, hence a channel for conducting fluid, e.g. the cerebral aqueduct of the midbrain, which transmits fluid from the 3rd to the 4th ventricle.
	arachnoid	adjective, Greek arachne = spider, and eidos = shape or form, hence like a spiders web. This middle layer of the three meninges is spread web-like over the brain when the dura has been removed.
	arbor vitae	Latin arbor = tree, and vita = life, hence, resembling the tree of life. This colourful term is used to describe the pattern of cerebellar folia seen in a median section.
	archaeocerebellum	Greek archi = first, hence the oldest part of the cerebellum, which is the flocculonodular lobe.
	archaeopallium	Greek archi = first, and pallium = cloak, hence the cortex which developed first in vertebrates. Often synonymous with hippocampal formation.
	archicerebellum	Greek archi = first, hence the oldest part of the cerebellum, which is the flocculonodular lobe.
	archipallium	Greek archi = first, and pallium = cloak, hence the cortex which developed first in vertebrates. Often synonymous with hippocampal formation.
	archistriatum	Greek archi = first, and Latin striatum = streaked or fluted.
	arcuate	Latin arcuatum = curved or arched.
	arcus	Latin an arch, Latin arcuatum = curved or arched.
	area	a part of a surface.
	areola	Latin small, open space.
	arm	the upper limb, between shoulder and elbow.
	arrector	Latin adrectus = raised, hence, arrector pili = a hair-raising muscle.
	artery	Latin arteria (which originally meant air- or wind-pipe, and later a blood vessel carrying blood away from the heart).
	articulation	Latin artus = joint, hence, articulate - to form a joint.
	arytenoid	Greek arytaina = pitcher, and eidos = shape or form, hence the arytenoid cartilage because it curves like a spout.
	aspect	a view of more than one surface.
	aspera	Latin rough.
	asterion	Greek asterios = starry.
	astrocyte	Greek astron = star, and kytos = cell, hence a star-shaped (neuroglial) cell.
	ataxia,	Greek a = negative, and taxis = order, hence inability to co-ordinate the voluntary muscles.
	atlas	Greek atlao = I sustain. Atlas was a mythical god who sustained the globe on his shoulders. The 1st vertebra sustains the skull, and its upper surface bears 2 concavities which suggest Atlas' palms, not shoulders.
	atresia	Greek a = negative, and tresis = a hole, hence an absence or closure of a body orifice or tubular organ
	atrium	Latin = entrance hall, adjective - atrial.
	atrophy	Greek a = negative, and trophe = food, hence wasting from starvation.
	auditory	Latin audire = to hear, hence, pertaining to the ear.
	auricle	Latin auricula = a little ear.
	auscultate	Latin ausculto = to listen to, hence, auscultation, the act of listening to a bodily activity.
	autonomic	adjective, Greek auto = self, and nomos = law, hence self-regulating.
	axilla	Latin armpit.
	axis	Latin axis = the central line of a body or part thereof, especially the imaginary line around which rotation takes place.
	axon	Latin axis = axis, hence the main process of a neuron conducting impulses away from the cell body.
	azygos	adjective, Greek a = negative, and zygos = paired, hence, unpaired.
	basilar	adjective, Latin basis = base.
	basilic	adjective, Greek basilikos = royal (king-sized).
	biceps	Latin bis = double, and caput = head, hence 2-headed, adjective - bicipital.
	bifid	adjective, Latin bis = double, and findo = to split.
	bifurcate	Latin bis = double, and furco = fork, hence to divide into two.
	bilateral	Latin bi = two, lateral = side, hence, pertaining to two (both) sides.
	bipennate	adjective, Latin bis = double, and pinna = feather, hence converging from 2 sides.
	body	the main part.
	border	see margin.
	brachiocephalic	Latin brachium = arm, and Greek kephale = head, hence a blood vessel related to the upper limb and head.
	brachium	Latin = arm, adjective - brachial.
	branchia	Greek = gills, adjective - branchial.
	bregma	from a Greek word implying moist, referring to the site of the anterior fontanelle (q.v.), a little fountain, the site of junction of the coronal and sagittal sutures, where the brain can be felt pulsating in infancy.
	brevis	Latin = short - cf. brief.
	bronchiole	diminutive of bronchus, hence a small bronchus (bronchi have cartilage in their walls, bronchioles have no cartilage).
	bronchus	derivation unhelpful - a branch of the trachea, adjective - bronchial.
	buccal	adjective, Latin bucca = cheek.
	buccinator	Latin = trumpeter - hence the muscle which blows air out from the cheek under pressure.
	bulbus	Latin = bulb or onion.
	bulla	Latin = bubble.
	bursa	Greek = a purse, hence a flattened sac containing a film of fluid.
	caecum	Latin = blind.
	calcaneus	Latin calx = heel, hence the bone of the heel.
	calcar avis	Latin the spur of a bird, hence a spur-like elevation.
	calcar	Latin = a spur.
	calcarine	Latin calcar = spur, hence spur-shaped.
	calf	the soft tissue swelling at the back of the leg.
	calix	Latin = a wine-cup (plural - calices).
	callosum	Latin callum = hard.
	calvaria	Latin calva = bald head, hence the part of the skull containing the brain - i.e. cranium minus the facial skeleton.
	calyx	Latin = a wine-cup (plural - calyces).
	canal	Latin canalis = a water-pipe or canal.
	canaliculus	diminutive of canal.
	cancellous	adjective, Latin cancelli = grating or lattice.
	canine	adjective, Latin canis = dog.
	canthus	Greek kanthos - used at first for rim of eye, then angle between ends of rims.
	capillary	Latin capillaris = hair-like, hence a very thin blood vessel.
	capitate	adjective, having a caput from Latin capitis = of a head (q.v.).
	capitulum	diminutive of caput, Latin = head.
	capsule	Latin capsa = box, hence an enclosing sheet.
	caput medusae	Latin caput = head, Medusa = Greek mythical female with snake like hair.
	caput	Latin = head. Capitis - of a head, adjective - capitate = having a head (cf. decapitate).
	cardiac	adjective, Greek kardia = heart.
	cardinal	Latin cardinalis = principal, of primary importance.
	carina	Latin = a keel.
	carneae	Latin carnea = fleshy.
	carotid	Greek karoo, to put to sleep (heavy sleep), because compression of the common or internal carotid artery may cause coma.
	carpus	Greek = wrist, adjective - carpal.
	cartilage	Latin = gristle; adjective - cartilaginous.
	caruncle	diminutive of Latin caro = flesh, hence, a small fleshy elevation.
	cauda equina	Latin = a horse's tail.
	cauda	Latin = tail, adjective - caudate - having a tail.
	caudal	Latin cauda = tail, hence toward the tail, inferior (in human anatomy).
	caudate	Latin cauda = tail, hence having a tail.
	cava	Latin cavum = cave, hollow.
	cavernous	Latin containing caverns or cave-like spaces.
	cavity	Latin cavitas = a hollow.
	cavum	Latin = cave.
	cecum	Latin = blind.
	celiac	adjective, Greek koilia = belly.
	celom	Greek koilos = a hollow
	central	adjective, Latin centrum = centre.
	centrum	Latin = centre.
	cephalic	adjective, Greek kephale = head.
	cerebellum	diminutive of Latin cerebrum = brain.
	cerebrum	Latin = brain, adjective - cerebral.
	cerumen	Latin cera = wax.
	cervical	adjective, Latin cervix = neck, hence, pertaining to the neck.
	cervix	Latin = neck, adjective - cervical.
	chiasma	Greek kiasma = cross. (The Greek letter chi = c).
	choana	Greek = funnel, plural - choanae.
	chondral	adjective, Greek chondros = cartilage.
	chorda	Latin = cord.
	choroid	adjective, Greek chorion = skin and eidos = shape or form, hence, like a membrane.
	chyle	Greek = juice.
	chyli	Greek = juice.
	ciliary	adjective, Latin cilia = eyelashes.
	cilium	Latin = eyelid, hence, an eyelash; adjective - ciliary, or ciliated.
	cinereum	Latin cineris = of ashes.
	cingulum	Latin girdle or belt, adjective - cingulate.
	circumflex	verb and adjective, Latin circum = around, and flexere = to bend, hence, bend or bent around.
	cisterna	Latin = a cistern.
	claustrum	Latin clausum = closed, hence a barrier.
	clavicle	diminutive of Latin clavis = key - old Roman key was S-shaped.
	cleido	Greek, cleis = key, a combining form denoting relationship to the clavicle.
	clinoid	adjective, Greek kline = bed, eidos = shape or form, hence, like a bed-post.
	clivus	Latin = slope (cf. declivity).
	cloaca	Latin = a drain, sewer; common opening for intestinal, urinary and genital tracts in lower vertebrates, it is a transitory structure in human embryological development.
	coccyx	Greek kokkyx = cuckoo, whose bill the coccyx resembles.
	cochlea	Latin = snail, hence the spiral cochlea, adjective - cochlear.
	coeliac	adjective, Greek koilia = belly.
	coeruleus	adjective, Latin = blue, hence, locus coeruleus, a group of nerve cells in the rostral pons coloured blue or black by melanin.
	coli	Latin = of the colon.
	collateral	adjective, Latin con = together, and latus = side, hence, alongside.
	colli	genetive (possessive case) of collum, Latin = neck
	colliculus	diminutive of Latin collis = hill.
	collum	Latin = neck (cf. collar).
	colon	Greek kolon = large intestine.
	columna	Latin = column, or pillar.
	comitans	adjective, Latin = accompanying.
	commissure	Latin con = together, and missum = sent, hence fibres which cross between symmetrical parts.
	communicans	adjective, Latin = communicating.
	concha	Latin = shell.
	condyle	Greek kondylos = knuckle.
	confluens	Latin con = together, and fluens = flowing, hence the meeting of more than one stream.
	conjunctiva	Latin con = with, and junctus = joined (cf. junction), hence the continuous bulbar and palpebral lining membrane.
	conoid	Greek konoeides = resembling a cone, cone shape
	constrictor	Latin con = together, and strictum = drawn tight, hence, producing narrowing.
	contour	Greek tornos = lathe, hence a line which turns - an outline.
	contralateral	Latin contra = against, latus = side, hence, the opposite side (as opposed to ipsilateral)
	conus	Latin = cone, conus medullaris - the lower end of the spinal cord.
	coracoid	adjective, Greek korax = a crow, and eidos = shape or form, hence, like a crow's beak.
	cornea	Latin cornu = horn, hence, the dense tissue forming the front of the eyeball.
	corniculate	Latin = shaped like a small horn.
	cornu	Latin = horn.
	corona	Latin = crown. adjective - coronary or coronal; hence a coronal plane is parallel to the main arch of a crown which passes from ear to ear (cf. coronal suture).
	coronal	Latin corona = crown; hence a coronal plane is parallel to the main arch of a crown which passes from ear to ear (cf. coronal suture).
	coronary	adjective, Latin = crown, hence, encircling like a crown.
	coronoid	adjective, Greek korone = a crown, eidos = shape or form, hence, shaped like a crown.
	corpus	Latin = body, plural - corpora.
	corpuscle	Latin = a little body.
	corrugator	Latin con = together, and ruga = wrinkle, hence a muscle that produces wrinkles.
	cortex	Latin = bark, adjective, cortical.
	costa	Latin = rib. adjective - costal.
	coxa	Latin = hip, hence os coxae = the hip bone.
	cranium	Greek kranion = skull. (In anthropology = skull minus mandible) adjective - cranial.
	cremaster	Greek = suspender, hence the muscle which suspends the testis.
	cribriform	adjective, Latin cribrum = sieve, hence, sieve-like.
	cricoid	adjective, Greek krikos = ring, and eidos = shape or form, hence, ring-like, i.e. circular.
	crista	Latin = crest, crista galli = the (median) crest of a cock.
	cruciate	adjective, Latin crux = cross, hence, crossed like the letter X.
	crus	Latin = leg, plural - crura.
	cubital	adjective, Latin cubitus = elbow.
	cuboid	adjective, Greek kuboides = cube-shaped.
	culmen	Latin = summit (cf. culminate).
	cuneate	adjective, Latin = a wedge.
	cuneiform	adjective, Latin cuneus = wedge, hence wedge-shaped.
	cuneus	Latin = a wedge, adjective - cuneate.
	cupola	Latin = little dome.
	cupula	Latin = little dome.
	cusp	Latin cuspis = a pointed elevation.
	cutaneous	adjective, Latin cutis = skin.
	cyst	Greek kystis = bladder, adjective - cystic.
	dartos	Greek = flayed or skinned.
	declive	Latin declivitas = slope (cf. clivus).
	decussation	Latin decussatus = crossed like the letter X.
	deep	further from the surface.
	deferens	adjective, Latin = carrying down.
	deglutition	Latin deglutire = to swallow, hence the act of swallowing.
	dehiscence	Latin de = away, hiscere = to gape, hence, a separation, a splitting away.
	deltoid	adjective, Greek delta (D). The capital has a triangular shape (cf. the delta of the Nile river).
	dendrite	or dendron, Greek = a tree, hence like the branches of a tree.
	dens	Latin = tooth (cf. dentist), adjective - dental.
	dentate	Latin dens = tooth, hence, having a toothed margin.
	denticulate	Latin dens = tooth, hence, having small tooth-like projections.
	dentine	from Latin dens = tooth; the substance of the tooth surrounding the pulp.
	depress	Latin de = prefix implying descent, and pressum = pressed, hence to press down, and depression = downward movement or a concavity on a surface.
	dermatome	Greek derma = skin, tome = a cutting or division, hence a segment of skin supplied by a single spinal ganglion.
	dermis	Greek = skin, adjective - dermal.
	detrusor	Latin detrusio = thrust away.
	diaphragm	Greek dia = across, and phragma = wall, hence, a partition, adjective - diaphragmatic (see also phrenic).
	diaphysis	Greek dia = apart, and physis = growth, hence, the body of a long bone between the growing regions near the ends.
	diastole	Greek dia = apart, and stellein = sending, hence sending the walls of the heart apart, i.e. relaxation or dilatation. Adjective - diastolic.
	diencephalon	Greek dia = between, and enkephalos = brain, hence in general the structures surrounding the 3rd ventricle. adjective - diencephalic.
	digastric	adjective, Greek dia = double, and gaster = belly, hence, 2-bellied.
	digit	Latin digitus = a finger or toe, usually excepting the pollex (thumb) or hallux (big toe), adjective - digital.
	diplo-	Greek = fold, hence the cancellous bone between the inner and outer tables of the skull, adjective - diploic.
	diplopia	Greek diploos = double, and opsis = vision, hence double vision.
	discus	Latin = disc.
	dissection	Latin disssecare = to cut up, from dis = apart, sectum = cut (c.f. anatomy).
	distal	adjective, Latin di = apart, and stans = standing, hence, standing apart, implying farther from a given point, usually the root of a limb.
	diverticulum	Latin = by-road, hence a blind tubular process or sac.
	dorsal	adjective, Latin dorsum = back.
	dorsum	Latin = back.
	ductus	Latin = duct.
	duodenum	Latin duodenarius = twelve, because it is 12 fingerbreadths long.
	dura	adjective, Latin = hard (cf. durable); dura mater, the tough covering membrane of the central nervous system.
	dysphagia	Greek dys = difficult, and phagein = to eat, hence, difficulty in swallowing.
	ectoderm	Greek ektos = outside, and derm = skin, hence, the outermost germ layer of the embryo.
	ectopic	Greek ek = out, and topos = place, hence out of place.
	edge	border or margin of a surface.
	efferent	adjective, Latin ex = out, and ferens = carrying, hence, conducting from.
	ejaculatory	Latin ex = out, and jacere = to throw, hence throwing out.
	elbow	the junction between arm and forearm.
	elevate	Latin elevatus = raised up, hence, to raise up, and elevation = a raised part.
	emboliformis	adjective, Greek embolus = wedge or blocking matter.
	embryo	Greek en = within, and bryein = to swell or grow, hence the early stage of intrauterine development.
	eminence	Latin eminens = projecting, hence, a projection (usually smooth).
	emissary	adjective, Latin e = out, and emissum = sent out; emissary vein, one connecting intra- with extra-cranial venous channels.
	encephalon	Greek en = within, and kephalos = head, hence, the brain.
	endocardium	Greek endo = within, and kardia = heart, hence, the endothelial lining of the chambers of the heart.
	endocranium	Greek endo = within, and kranion = skull, hence, the outer endostial layer of the dura mater.
	endocrine	Greek endo = within, and krinein = to separate, hence, the organs that ductlessly secrete their products into the bloodstream.
	endoderm	Greek endo = within, and derm = skin, hence, the germ layer of the embryo that gives rise to epithelium of the gastrointestinal and respiratory tracts.
	endolymph	Greek endo = within, and Latin lympha = clear water, hence the fluid within the membranous labyrinth of the internal ear.
	endometrium	Greek endo = within, and metra = uterus, hence the mucosal lining of the uterine cavity.
	endothelium	Greek endo = within, and thele = the nipple; the squamous epithelium lining the heart and blood vessels.
	ependyma	Greek = an upper garment. It may refer to a vest or singlet, i.e. an under-garment, hence, the lining membrane of the ventricles of the brain and central canal of the spinal cord.
	epicanthus	Greek epi = upon, and kanthos = corner, hence, the fold of skin over the inner angle of the upper eyelid, a normal characteristic in certain races, and a congenital anomaly in others.
	epicardium	Greek epi = upon, and kardia = heart, hence, the visceral layer of serous pericardium which covers the heart.
	epicondyle	Greek epi = upon, and kondylos = knuckle, hence a prominence on a condyle of the humerus or femur.
	epicranial	adjective, Greek epi = upon, and kranion = skull, hence, the epicranial aponeurosis (galea) connecting frontalis to occipitalis muscles.
	epidermis	Greek epi = upon, and derm = skin, hence, the most external layer of the skin.
	epididymis	Greek epi = upon, and didymos = testis, hence, the organ perched posterosuperior to the testis.
	epidural	adjective, Greek epi = upon, Latin dura = tough, hence, external to dura mater.
	epigastrium	Greek epi = upon, and gaster = belly, hence, the upper median zone of the abdomen.
	epiglottis	Greek epi = upon, and glottis = larynx, hence the uppermost part of the larynx.
	epimysium	Greek epi = upon, and mys = muscle, hence the connective tissue surrounding an entire muscle.
	epiphysis	Greek epi = upon, and physis = growth, hence, the end of a long bone beyond the cartilaginous growth disc, adjective - epiphysial.
	epiploic	adjective, Greek epiploon = a net, which the greater omentum resembles with fat entangled in it.
	epithelium	Greek epi = upon, and thele = the nipple; the cell layer lining the internal and external surfaces of the body.
	erector	Latin erectus = straight or upright.
	erigentes	plural, Latin erigere = to erect.
	ethmoid	adjective, Greek ethmos = sieve, and eidos = shape or form, hence, like a sieve; an unpaired skull bone.
	eversion	Latin e = out, and versum = turned, hence turned outwards.
	exophthalmos	Greek exo = out, and ophthalmos = eye, hence, prominent eyeball.
	extend	Latin extendo = extend or stretch out, hence, extension = extended or straightened; the position opposite to the flexed or bent.
	external	adjective, Latin externus = outward, hence, further from the inside.
	extraperitoneal	adjective, Latin extra = outside, Greek peri = around and teinein = stretched, hence outside the serous membrane stretched around the inside of the abdominal wall and around the viscera.
	extrapyramidal	Latin extra = outside, and pyramidal (q.v.), hence descending nerve tracts that do not traverse the pyramids of the medulla.
	extrinsic	Latin extrinsecus = from without, hence (usually) a muscle (usually) originating outside the part on which it acts.
	fabella	diminutive of Latin faba = a bean, hence, a sesamoid bone found in the lateral head of gastrocnemius.
	facet	Latin facies = face, hence a small smooth bony surface, either coated with articular cartilage or the site of a tendinous attachment (cf. a facet on a diamond).
	facilitate	Latin facilis = easy, hence, to make easy.
	falciform	adjective, Latin falx = a sickle, and forma = form, hence, shaped like a sickle.
	falx	Latin = sickle, hence, the sickle-shaped falx cerebri and falx cerebelli, adjective - falciform.
	fascia	Latin = band or bandage, hence the fibrous wrapping of muscles - deep fascia, or the subcutaneous layer of fatty connective tissue - superficial fascia, adjective, fascial.
	fasciculus	diminutive of Latin fascis = bundle, hence, a bundle of nerve or muscle fibres.
	fastigius	Latin fastigium = summit, hence the peak of the 4th ventricle, adjective - fastigial.
	fauces	Latin = throat, adjective - faucial.
	femur	Latin = thigh, adjective - femoral.
	fenestra	Latin = window.
	fetus	the developing mammal in utero; in Man, after the 2nd month in utero, adjective - foetal or fetal.
	fibre	Latin fibra = a fibre, adjective, Latin fibrosus = fibrous.
	fibril	diminutive of Latin fibra = a fibre.
	fibula	Latin = brooch, which the tibia and fibula resemble, the fibula representing the movable pin, adjective - fibular.
	filament	Latin filamentum = a delicate fibre, adjective - filamentous.
	filum	Latin = a thread. Filum terminale - a thread of pia continuous with the lower end of the spinal cord.
	fimbria	Latin = a fringe, hence, fimbria hippocampi, a scalloped band of fibres alongside the hippocampus.
	fissure	Latin = a cleft.
	fixator	Latin fixus = fixed, hence, a muscle which fixes a part.
	flaccid	adjective, Latin flaccidus = weak or slack.
	flavum	adjective, Latin flavus = yellow.
	flex	Latin flexum = bent, hence, flexor, a muscle which bends a part of the body, and flexion = the act of flexing.
	flexure	Latin flexura = a bending.
	flocculus	diminutive of Latin floccus, a tuft. Hence resembling a picture of a little cloud, with a woolly top and a flat base, as in flocculus cerebelli.
	foetus	the developing mammal in utero; in Man, after the 2nd month in utero, adjective - foetal or fetal.
	folia	plural of Latin folium = leaf.
	follicle	Latin folliculus = a little bag, adjective - follicular.
	fontanelle	French diminutive of Latin fons = fountain, associated with the palpable pulsation of the brain in the anterior fontanelle of an infant.
	foramen	Latin = hole.
	forceps	Latin = tongs.
	forearm	the upper limb between the elbow and the wrist.
	fornix	Latin = arch (hence fornication, because the Roman prostitutes plied their profession beneath the arches of the bridges over the river Tiber).
	fossa	Latin = a ditch or trench, hence a concavity in bone, or an organ, or on a lining surface.
	fovea	Latin = a pit (usually smaller than a fossa).
	foveola	diminutive of fovea.
	frenulum	diminutive of frenum.
	frenum	Latin = bridle or curb.
	frontal	adjective, Latin frontis = of the forehead, or coronal.
	fundiform	adjective, Latin fundus = bottom or base (cf. fundamental), hence, sling-shaped.
	fundus	Latin = bottom or base. (But note that the fundus of the stomach and uterus are at the top, and the fundus of the eye and of the bladder are posterior!).
	funiculus	diminutive of Latin funis = cord (used usually for bundles of nerve fibres).
	fusiform	adjective, Latin fusus = spindle, hence, spindle-shaped.
	galea	Latin = helmet, hence, galea aponeurotica - the aponeurosis of occipitofrontalis muscle.
	galli	genetive (possessive case) of Latin = cock, hence, crista galli, the cock's comb.
	gallus	Latin = cock, hence, crista galli, the cock's comb.
	gamma	the 3rd letter of the Greek alphabet, typically used in a naming sequence - alpha, beta, gamma, delta, etc.
	ganglion	Greek = swelling, referring to a peripheral collection of nerve cells, adjective - ganglionic.
	gastric	Greek gaster = belly or stomach.
	gastro	Greek gaster = belly or stomach.
	gastrocnemius	Greek gaster = belly, and kneme = leg, hence, the bulging muscle of the calf.
	gelatinosa	Latin gelatus = frozen.
	gemellus	Latin diminutive of geminus = twin.
	genial	adjective, Greek geneion = chin.
	geniculate	Latin geniculare = to flex the knee, hence, a bent knee.
	geniculum	Latin geniculare = to flex the knee, hence, a bent knee.
	genital	adjective, Latin genitalis = reproductive, hence, genitalia, the sexual organs.
	genu	Latin = knee.
	gingiva	Latin = gum (of tooth).
	girdle	a ring of bones which may be complete or incomplete.
	glabella	diminutive of Latin glaber = bald, hence a smooth bony prominence between the eyebrows.
	gladiolus	diminutive of Latin gladius = a sword, hence, hance a small sword, term applied to the body of the sternum.
	gland	Latin glans = an acorn, adjective - glandular; a secreting organ.
	glandula	diminutive of Latin glans = acorn.
	glans	Latin = acorn.
	glenoid	adjective, Greek glene = socket, and eidos = shape or form.
	glia	Greek = glue, hence, an adhesive connective tissue.
	globus	Latin = a globe.
	glomerulus	Latin glomerare = to roll up, from glomus = a ball of thread (cf. conglomeration).
	glossal	adjective, Greek glossa = tongue.
	glottic	adjective, Greek = larynx.
	glottis	Greek = larynx, hence, the boundaries of rima glottidis.
	gluteal	adjective, Greek gloutos = rump or buttock.
	gluteus	Greek gluteos = rump or buttock. One of 3 muscles of the buttock, adjective - gluteal.
	gonad	Greek = reproduction, hence a gland producing gametes - ovary or testis, adjective - gonadal.
	gracile	adjective, Latin gracilis = slender.
	gracilis	adjective, Latin = slender.
	granulation	diminutive of Latin granum = a grain.
	gravid	adjective, Latin gravida = pregnant.
	griseum	adjective, Latin griseus = bluish or pearly grey.
	gubernaculum	Latin something which governs or directs, like a rudder (cf. gubernatorial).
	gustatory	adjective, Latin gustatio = taste, hence, pertaining to the sense of taste.
	gyrus	Greek gyros = circle, hence a coil of brain cortex.
	habenula	diminutive of Latin habena = rein.
	haemorrhoid	Greek haima = blood, and rhoia = to flow, hence likely to bleed.
	hallux	Latin hallex = great toe (hallucis = of the great toe).
	hamate	adjective, Latin hamus = a hook, hence, hooked.
	hamstrings	the tendons of the muscles of the ham - i.e. of the back of the thigh - felt behind the knee when the leg is flexed against resistance (semimembranosus, semitendinosus and biceps femoris).
	hamulus	diminutive of Latin hamus = hook.
	haustra	Latin = saccules.
	helicine	Greek helix = a coil, spiral.
	helicotrema	Greek helix = a coil, and trema = hole, hence the aperture at the apex of the bony cochlea whereby scala vestibuli communicates with scala tympani.
	helix	Greek = coil.
	hemianopia	Greek hemi = half, an = negative, opsis = vision, hence loss of half of the field of vision.
	hemianopsia	Greek hemi = half, an = negative, opsis = vision, hence loss of half of the field of vision.
	hemiparesis	Greek hemi = half, paresis = paralysis, used usually to denote weakness rather than paralysis.
	hemiplegia	Greek hemi = half, plegia = stroke, hence, paralysis of one half of the body.
	hemisphere	Greek hemi = half, sphaira = ball, hence, half of a sphere.
	hepar	Greek = liver, adjective - hepatic.
	hepatic	adjective, Greek hepar = the liver.
	hernia	Latin = a protrusion, adjective - hernial.
	hiatus	Latin = a gap (like that between some people's ears).
	hilum	Latin = the point of attachment of a seed, hence the part of an organ where the vessels and nerves are attached; adjective - hilar.
	hindbrain	the part of the brain below tentorium cerebelli, comprising medulla oblongata, pons and cerebellum.
	hip	the lateral prominence of the hip bone and greater trochanter.
	hippocampus	Greek hippokampos = a sea-horse, hence, the curled shape of the hippocampus in coronal section; adjective - hippocampal.
	homologous	adjective, Greek homos = same, and logos = word, hence a part with similar morphology but different function.
	horizontal	adjective - parallel to the horizon.
	horn	a projection, often pointed.
	humerus	Latin = the arm-bone.
	humour	Latin humor = liquid, hence the aqueous and vitreous humour of the eyeball.
	hyaline	adjective, Greek hyalos = glassy.
	hydrocephalus	Greek hydor = water, koilos = head. (cf. cephalic).
	hymen	Greek = membrane; across the virginal vagina.
	hyoid	adjective, Greek = U-shaped.
	hyperacusis	Greek hyper = over, and akousis = hearing, hence excessive sensitivity to sound.
	hypoglossal	adjective, Greek hypo = under, and glossa = tongue.
	hypophysis	Greek hypo = down, physis = growth, hence, a downgrowth (from the brain). However, this is not the whole truth. Part is an upgrowth from the pharynx, adjective - hypophysial.
	hypothalamus	Greek hypo = under, and thalamus (q.v.), refers to part of diencephalon.
	ileum	Greek eilein = twisted. adjective - ileal.
	ilium	Latin the bone of the flank, adjective - iliac.
	ima	adjective, Latin = lowest, hence artery thyroidea ima.
	impar	Latin = unpaired.
	incisor	Latin incisum = cut up.
	incisura	Latin = notch.
	incus	Latin = anvil, hence the anvil-shaped ossicle of the middle ear.
	index	Latin = a pointer, hence, the fore-finger.
	indicis	genitive of Latin index = a pointer, hence, of the fore-finger.
	indusium	Latin = tunic.
	inferior	adjective, Latin = lower down, hence, farther from the head end.
	infra	Latin = below.
	infundibulum	Latin = funnel.
	inguinal	adjective, Latin inguen = groin.
	inhibition	Latin inhibitus = restrained, hence, reduction of the excitability of a synapse.
	innervate	Latin in = into, and nervus = nerve, hence, to supply a nerve to a part.
	innominate	Lain in = not, and nomen = name, hence, without a name.
	insert	Latin insertio = to join into, implant, hence, to attach; noun - insertion.
	inspection	Latin inspectus = examined, hence, visual examination.
	insula	Latin = island.
	integument	Latin in = on, tegmen = roof, hence the skin coat.
	intercalated	adjective, Latin inter = between, and calatum = inserted, hence interposed.
	interdigitate	Latin inter = between, and digitus = a digit. Hence, to interlock like fingers.
	internal	adjective, Latin internus = inward, hence, nearer the inside.
	internuncial	adjective, Latin inter = between, nuncius = messenger.
	interstitial	adjective, Latin inter = between, and sistum = set, hence, set between.
	intestine	Latin intestinum = the digestive tube beyond the stomach.
	intima	Latin = innermost.
	intra	Latin = within.
	intrafusal	adjective, Latin intra = within, fusus = spindle.
	intrinsic	adjective, Latin = on the inside.
	introitus	Latin intro = within, and ire = to go, hence, an orifice or point of entry to a cavity or space.
	inversion	Lain in = in, and vertere = to turn, hence to turn inward, inside out, upside down.
	ipsilateral	Latin ipsi = self, the same, and latus = side, hence on the same side.
	iris	Latin = a rainbow.
	ischium	Greek ischion = socket, because the ischium contributes more than either the ilium or pubis to the acetabulum.
	iso	Greek = equal.
	isthmus	Greek isthmos - a narrow passage.
	jejunum	Latin jejunus = empty, adjective - jejunal.
	joint	the meeting of 2 or more bones or cartilages, at which movement is possible.
	jugular	adjective, Latin jugulum = neck.
	jugum	Latin = yoke (cf. conjugal).
	juxta	Latin = near.
	keratin	Greek keras = horn.
	kinocilium	Greek kineo = to move (cf. kinetic), and cilium Latin = eyelash, hence protoplasmic thread of hair process in cupula of crista ampullaris of a semicircular duct.
	knee	the junction of the thigh and the leg.
	koniocortex	Greek konis = dust, and Latin cortex = bark, hence, sensory cortex containing mostly granular layers.
	kyphosis	Greek kyphos = bent or bowed forward.
	labium	Latin = lip (plural labia), adjective - labial.
	labrum	Latin = rim.
	labyrinth	Greek labyrinthos = maze, adjective - labyrinthine.
	lacerum	Latin lacer = mangled, hence, lacerated, torn.
	lacrimal	adjective, Latin lacrima = a tear (drop).
	lactation	Latin lactans = suckling. Hence, the act of secreting milk.
	lacteal	adjective, Latin lac = milk, hence, resembling milk.
	lactic	adjective, Latin lac = milk.
	lactiferous	adjective, Latin lac = milk, and ferre = to carry.
	lacuna	Latin lacus = lake, hence, a small pond or gap, adjective, lacunar.
	lambda	Greek letter representing a capital 'L' and written as an inverted V.
	lambdoid	adjective, Greek lambda, representing a capital 'L' and written as an inverted V; hence, like that letter.
	lamella	diminutive of Latin lamina = plate; hence, a small plate.
	lamina	Latin = plate, either a layer of nervous tissue, like the laminae of the lateral geniculate body, or a connective tissue membrane, like lamina cribrosa sclerae, or of bone, as in vertebral laminae; hence, laminectomy = lamina + Greek ektome = excision - excision of the vertebral laminae to give access to the spinal cord; adjective - laminar.
	lanugo	Latin lana = wool, hence, the fine downy hair on the skin of the foetus, or cheeks.
	larynx	Greek = voice-box, adjective - laryngeal.
	lata	Latin latus = side.
	lateral	adjective, Latin latus = side, hence, nearer the side.
	latissimus	superlative of adjective, Latin latus = wide, hence, latissimus dorsi muscle, the widest muscle of the back; earlier name was anitersor - wiper of the anus.
	leg	the lower limb between the knee and the ankle.
	lemniscus	Greek lemniskos = a band or ribbon (applied to nerve fibres).
	lens	Latin = lentil - a transparent body with one or both surfaces curved to re-direct light rays, adjective - lentiform or lenticular.
	lentiform	adjective, Latin lens = lentil, and forma = shape, hence, lentil-shaped.
	leptomeninx	Greek lepto = delicate, and meninx = membrane. Usually refers to pia and arachnoid. Plural leptomeninges.
	levator	Latin = elevator.
	lien	Latin = spleen, adjective - lienal.
	ligament	Latin ligamentum = bandage, usually tying parts to each other, adjective - ligamentous.
	limbic	adjective, Latin limbus = a margin, usually curved.
	limbus	Latin = a margin, usually curved, hence, limbus of cornea, its circular junction with the sclera, adjective - limbic; limbic lobe of the brain comprises structures which encircle the junction of the diencephalon and telencephalon.
	limen	Latin = a threshold, hence, subliminal - below threshold.
	linea	Latin = line.
	lingua	Latin = tongue, adjective, lingual.
	lingula	diminutive of lingua, hence, a little tongue, adjective - lingular.
	lissencephalic	adjective, Greek lissos = smooth, hence, a cerebrum lacking sulci.
	lobule	diminutive of lobus.
	lobulus	Latin diminutive of lobus, hence, a lobule.
	lobus	Greek lobos = lobe, adjective - lobar.
	locus	Latin a place (cf. location, locate, dislocate).
	loin	Latin lumbus - the part of the back between the ribs and the hip bone.
	longissimus	superlative of Latin longus = long, hence, the longest.
	longitudinal	adjective, Latin longitudo = length, hence, lengthwise.
	longus	adjective, Latin = long, hence, longissimus (superlative) = the longest.
	lucidum	Latin lucidus = clear.
	lumbar	adjective - see loin.
	lumbrical	Latin lumbricus = worm, hence worm-shaped muscles of the palm.
	lumen	Latin = opening, hence the space within a tube.
	lunate	adjective, Latin luna = moon, hence, crescentic.
	luteum	adjective, Latin = yellow.
	lymph	Latin lympha - clear spring water.
	lymphatic	a vessel carrying lymph.
	macroscopic	adjective, Greek makros = large, and skopein = to examine; hence, large enough to be seen with the naked eye, e.g., pertaining to gross anatomy.
	macula	Latin = spot (cf. immaculate - spotless); adjective - macular.
	magna	Latin = great.
	malleolus	diminutive of Latin malleus = hammer, adjective - malleolar.
	malleus	Latin = a hammer.
	mamma	Latin = breast; adjective - mammary.
	mammilla	diminutive of mamma; adjective - mammillary.
	mandible	Latin mandere = to chew; hence, the movable lower jaw; adjective - mandibular.
	manubrium	Latin = handle; adjective - manubrial.
	manus	Latin = hand (cf. manual).
	margin	the edge or border of a surface; adjective - marginal.
	masseter	Greek = chewer; adjective - masseteric.
	mastication	Latin masticere = to chew.
	mastoid	adjective, Greek mastos = breast or teat, and eidos = shape or form.
	matrix	Latin = a female animal used for breading, womb; refers to ground substance of connective tissue, and nail bed.
	maxilla	Latin = jaw-bone; now used only for the upper jaw; adjective - maxillary.
	meatus	Latin = passage; adjective - meatal.
	medial	adjective, Latin medius = middle; hence, nearer the median plane.
	median	Latin medianus = in the middle.
	mediastinum	derivation doubtful, but possibly from Latin medius = middle, and stans = standing; hence, a median vertical partition, adjective - mediastinal.
	medius	Latin = middle.
	medulla	Latin = marrow; applied to part of an organ deep to its cortex, and to the spinal cord and adjoining part of brain stem, which may have been thought to be the marrow of the vertebral column, adjective - medullary pertains to the medulla of an organ or medulla oblongata.
	membrane	Latin membrana = a thin sheet; adjective - membranous.
	meninges	plural of Greek meninx = a membrane; adjective - meningeal.
	meniscus	Latin menis - a small crescent.
	mental	adjective - Latin mentum = chin; or Latin mens = mind.
	mesencephalon	Greek mesos = middle, and enkephalos = brain; adjective - mesencephalic.
	mesenchyme	Greek mesos = middle, and chymos = juice; the embryonic connective tissue of the mesoderm.
	mesentery	Greek mesos = middle, and enteron = intestine; hence, the peritoneal fold which tethers the centrally situated small intestine; adjective - mesenteric.
	mesial	adjective - medial, used in dental anatomy.
	mesoderm	Greek mesos = middle, and derma = skin; the middle germ layer of the embryo.
	mesosalpinx	Greek mesos = middle, and salpinx = tube; hence, the intermediate part of the broad ligament.
	metacarpus	Greek meta = after, and karpus = wrist; adjective - metacarpal.
	metaphysis	Greek meta = after, and physis = growth; hence, the end of the shaft of a bone alongside the epiphysial or growth cartilage; adjective - metaphysial.
	metatarsus	Greek meta = after, and tarsos = ankle; hence, the bones beyond the tarsus, adjective - metatarsal.
	metencephalon	Greek meta = beside, behind, or after, and enkephalos = brain; hence the parts of the hindbrain immediately caudal to the fore- and midbrain, namely the pons and cerebellum.
	metopic	adjective, Greek metopon = forehead.
	micturition	Latin micturare = to desire to pass urine.
	minimus	Latin = smallest.
	miosis	Greek meiosis = lessening; hence, pupillary constriction; adjective - miotic.
	modality	Latin modus = mode; hence, a form of sensation - e.g. touch, pain, sight.
	modiolus	Latin a cylindrical borer with a serrated edge; hence, like a screw; the central stem of the bony cochlea.
	molar	adjective, Latin mola = mill.
	mons	Latin = mountain; mons pubis, the soft tissue bulge over the female pubes.
	morphology	Greek morphos = form, and logos = word or relation; hence, study of pattern of structure; adjective - morphological.
	multifidus	Latin multus = much, and findere = to split.
	muscle	Latin musculus, diminutive of Greek mus = mouse, the body and head of which represent the main belly of a muscle, and the tail, the tendon.
	mydriasis	Greek = dilatation of the pupil.
	myelencephalon	Greek myelos = marrow (= Latin medulla), and enkephalos = brain; hence the medulla oblongata. See also medulla.
	myelin	Greek myelos = marrow; hence, white fatty sheath of an axis cylinder; adjective - myelinated.
	myenteric	Greek mys = muscle, and enteron = intestine, hence, pertaining to the muscle of the gut.
	mylohyoid	Greek mylo = molar, and hyoeides = U-shaped.
	myocardium	Greek mys = muscle, and kardia = heart, adjective - myocardial.
	myotome	Greek mys = muscle, and tome = a cutting or division; hence, a group of muscles innervated by a single spinal segment.
	nares	plural, Latin naris = nostril.
	naris	Latin = nostril, plural - nares.
	nasal	adjective, Latin nasus = nose; hence, pertaining to the nose.
	natal	adjective, Latin natus = born; hence, relating to birth.
	navicular	adjective, Latin navicula = a little ship (cf. naval); hence, the tarsal bone which is concave posteriorly, resembling a boat.
	neo-	Greek prefix - neos = new.
	neonatal	adjective, Greek neos = new, and Latin natos = born; hence, new-born.
	neopallium	Greek neos = new, and Latin pallium = cloak; hence, the cerebral cortex which developed more recently than the archipallium or olfactory cortex.
	nerve	Latin nervus = tendon; later reserved for a peripheral bundle of fibres which conduct impulses from or to the central nervous system.
	neural	adjective, Greek neuron = nerve.
	neuroglia	Greek neuron = nerve, and gloia = glue; hence, the connective tissue of the central nervous system; adjective - neuroglial.
	neurohypophysis	or posterior lobe of hypophysis - Greek hypo = down, and physis = growth; hence, the posterior part of the hypophysis evaginated downwards from the diencephalon, and its stalk.
	neurolemma	Greek neuron = nerve, and lemma = peel or rind; hence, the covering layer of a nerve.
	neuron	Greek = nerve; refers to the nerve cell body, with its axon and dendrites; adjective - neuronal.
	nigra	Latin niger = black, dark.
	node	Latin nodus = knot.
	nodule	diminutive of Latin nodus = knot, hence, a little knot.
	norma	Latin = pattern or rule, or aspect; adjective, normal - according to rule.
	notch	an indentation in the margin of a structure. Etymology uncertain.
	notochord	Greek notos = back, and chorde = cord; hence, the primitive axial skeleton around which the vertebrae develop, parts persisting in the nuclei pulposi.
	nucha	French nuque = nape or back of the neck; adjective - nuchal.
	nucleus	Latin = kernel or nut; may refer to the vital centre of a cell body, or to a cluster of neuron cells in the central nervous system; adjective - nuclear.
	nystagmus	Greek = drowsiness, to nod, hence, involuntary, rapid, rhythmic eye movements.
	obex	Latin = barrier; hence, the coronal fold of ependyma over the lower angle of the 4th ventricle.
	oblique	adjective, Latin obliquus; slanting, or deviating from the perpendicular or the horizontal.
	oblongata	Latin oblongus = oblong; medulla oblongata.
	obturator	Latin obturatus = stopped up; hence, a structure which closes a hole.
	occiput	Latin ob = prominent (cf. obvious), and caput = head; hence, the prominent convexity of the back of the head; adjective - occipital.
	occlusion	Latin occlusum = closed up; hence, apposition of reciprocal teeth, or the blocking of any tubular structure; adjective - occlusal.
	oculomotor	Latin oculus = eye, and movere = to move, hence, pertaining to moving the eye.
	oculus	Latin = eye.
	odontoid	Greek odous = tooth, and eidos = form, shape, hence, tooth-like.
	oesophagus	Greek = gullet (passage from pharynx to stomach); adjective - oesophageal.
	olecranon	Greek olene = ulna, and kranion = upper part of head; hence, the upper end of the ulna.
	olfactory	adjective, Latin olfacto = smell.
	olive	Latin oliva - the oval fruit of the olive tree; oval eminence on medulla oblongata; adjective - olivary.
	omentum	Latin = apron; adjective - omental.
	omohyoid	Greek omos = shoulder; hence, a muscle attached to the scapula and hyoid.
	operculum	Latin = lid or cover; hence, operculum insulae, the cerebral cortex covering and hiding the insula (the 5th lobe of cerebral cortex).
	ophthalmic	adjective, Greek ophthalmos = eye.
	opponens	Latin = placing against, opposing.
	oppose	Latin oppositum = put against; hence, to resist or place in contact with, and opposition - the action of opposing.
	optic	adjective, Greek optos = seen; hence, pertaining to sight.
	ora serrata	Latin ora = margin, and serra = saw; hence, the serrated anterior edge of the functional part of the retina.
	ora	Latin ora = margin or edge.
	oral	Latin oris = a mouth, hence, pertaining to the mouth.
	orbit	Latin orbis = circle; the name given to the bony socket in which the eyeball rotates; adjective - orbital.
	orifice	Latin orificium = opening.
	os, oris	Latin os = mouth; plural - ora, adjective - oral.
	os, ossis	Latin os = bone; plural - ossa, adjective - osseous.
	ossicle	Latin ossiculus, diminutive of os = bone.
	ossify	Latin os = bone, and facio = make; hence, to form bone; and ossification, the process of bone formation.
	osteology	Greek osteon = bone, and logy = a field of study.
	ostium	Latin = a door, an opening, an orifice.
	otic	adjective, Greek otos = ear.
	otolith	Greek otos = ear, and lithos = stone; hence, calcareous particles in the utricle and saccule of the membranous labyrinth.
	ovary	Latin ovum = egg; hence, the organ containing ova (the largest cells in the female).
	ovum	Latin = egg, plural - ova.
	pachymeninx	Greek pachys = thick, and meninx = membrane; hence, the thick membrane covering the central nervous system, i.e., dura mater.
	palaeo	Greek palaios = old; hence, palaeocerebellum, the earliest stage in the evolution of the cerebellum.
	palate	Latin palatum = palate, adjective - palatal or palatine.
	paleo	Greek palaios = old; hence, paleocerebellum, the earliest stage in the evolution of the cerebellum.
	pallidus	adjective, Latin = pale.
	pallium	Latin = cloak; hence, the cerebral cortex forming the outer covering of the cerebral hemisphere.
	palma	Latin palma = palm; adjective, palmar - Latin palmaris.
	palpate	Latin palpare = to touch, and palpatus = touched; hence, to examine by feeling, and palpation, such an examination.
	palpebra	Latin = eyelid, probably from palpitare = to flutter.
	pampiniform	adjective, Latin pampinus = tendril, and forma = shape.
	pancreas	Greek = sweetbread, derived from Greek pan = all, and kreas = flesh; adjective - pancreatic.
	panniculus	diminutive of Latin pannus = cloth.
	papilla	Latin = nipple or teat; adjective - papillary.
	paradidymis	Greek para = beside of near, and didymis = twinned or paired, refers to testes; hence the collection of convoluted tubules in the spermatic cord, above the head of the epididymis.
	paraesthesia	Greek para = beside, and aisthesia = sensation; hence, abnormal sensation, usually burning or pricking.
	paralysis	Greek para = beside, near, lyein = to loosen; hence loss or impairment of muscle function.
	parametrium	Greek para = beside, and metra = womb; hence, connective tissue alongside the body of the uterus, within the broad ligament.
	paraplegia	Greek para = beside, and plege = a stroke; hence, paralysis of the lower limbs.
	pararenal	adjective, Greek para = beside, Latin ren = kidney; hence, beside the kidney, e.g., pararenal fat, the fatty capsule of the kidney.
	parasternal	adjective, Greek para = beside, and sternon = chest; hence, the parasternal line is a vertical line about midway between the sternal edge and the midclavicular line.
	parasympathetic	adjective, Greek para = beside, syn = with, and pathos = feeling; hence, the division of the autonomic nervous system complementary to the sympathetic system.
	parathyroid	adjective, Greek para = beside, and thyroid; hence, beside the thyroid gland.
	parenchyma	Greek para = beside or near, en = in, and chein = to pour; hence a general term to designate the functional elements of an organ, as opposed to the framework or stroma.
	paresis	Greek = relaxation, but has come to mean partial paralysis.
	parietal	adjective, Latin parietalis, pertaining to paries = wall.
	parotid	adjective, Greek para = beside, and otos = of the ear; hence, beside the ear.
	parous	adjective, Latin pario = I bear (children); hence, adjective, applied to woman who has borne one or more children (cf. nulliparous, multiparous).
	pars	Latin = part.
	patella	Latin a small pan; adjective - patellar.
	pecten	Latin = comb.
	pectinate	adjective, from Latin pecten = a comb; applied to structures having the appearance of parallel teeth arising from a straight back (musculi pectinati), or the sellar appearance of the superior pubic ramus, which may have resembled the body of antique combs.
	pectineal	adjective, from Latin pecten = a comb; applied to structures having the appearance of parallel teeth arising from a straight back (musculi pectinati), or the sellar appearance of the superior pubic ramus, which may have resembled the body of antique combs.
	pectineus	Latin, pecten = a comb; hence the muscle attaching to the pecten (pectineal line) of the pubic bone.
	pectoral	adjective, Latin pectoris = of the front of the chest.
	pectoralis	adjective, Latin pectoris = of the front of the chest.
	pedicle	diminutive of Latin pedis = of the foot.
	pedis	Latin = of the foot.
	peduncle	variation of pedicle.
	pellucidum	adjective, Latin per = through, and lucere - to shine; hence, translucent.
	pelvis	Latin = basin, adjective - pelvic.
	penis	Latin = tail, the male organ of copulation (cf. appendix, appendage).
	pennate	Latin penna = feather; hence, a muscle whose fibres approach the tendon from one direction is unipennate; from two, bipennate, and from more than two, multipennate.
	pennatus	(pinnate) - adjective, Latin penna = feather; hence, a muscle whose fibres approach the tendon from one direction is unipennate; from two, bipennate, and from more than two, multipennate.
	perianal	adjective, Greek peri = around, and Latin anus = lower opening of alimentary canal.
	pericardium	Greek peri = around, and kardia = heart; hence, the membranes enclosing the heart.
	perichondrium	Greek peri = around, and chondros = cartilage; hence, the membrane covering cartilage.
	pericranium	Greek peri = around, and kranion = skull; hence, the external periosteum of the skull.
	perilymph	Greek peri = around, and lympha - Latin = clear water; hence, the fluid in the bony labyrinth surrounding the membranous labyrinth (and continuous with the cerebrospinal fluid).
	perineum	Greek the caudal aspect of the trunk between the thighs, or, the region of the trunk below the pelvic diaphragm; adjective - perineal.
	periodontal	adjective, Greek peri = around, and odont = tooth.
	periosteum	Greek peri = around, and osteon = bone; hence, the membrane around a bone.
	peripheral	adjective, Greek peri = around and phero = carry; hence, away from the centre (cf. periphery).
	peristalsis	Greek peri = around, and stellein - to constrict; hence, a circular constriction passing as a wave along a tube; adjective - peristaltic.
	peritoneum	Greek periteino = to stretch around; hence, the membrane stretched around the internal surface of the walls and the external aspect of some of the contents of the abdomen; adjective - peritoneal.
	peroneal	adjective, Greek perone = clasp, brooch - see fibula.
	pes	Latin = foot.
	petrosal	adjective, Latin petrosus = rocky.
	petrous	adjective, Latin petrosus = rocky.
	phalanx	Latin = row of soldiers; hence, one of the small bones of a digit, plural - phalanges, adjective - phalangeal.
	phallus	Greek phallos = penis.
	pharynx	Greek = throat; adjective - pharyngeal.
	philtrum	Greek philtron - the median sulcus of the upper lip. Derivation doubtful.
	phonation	Greek phone = sound or voice; hence, the production of either.
	phrenic	Greek phren = diaphragm or mind; hence, diaphragmatic (cf. schizophrenic).
	pia	Latin = faithful, hence, the membrane which faithfully follows the contour of the brain and spinal cord.
	pilomotor	Latin pilus = a hair, and movere = to move; hence the action of the arrectores pilorum muscles.
	pilus	Latin = a hair.
	pineal	adjective, Latin pinea = a pine cone; hence, the pineal gland which is cone-shaped.
	piriform	adjective, Latin pirum = a pear; hence, pear-shaped.
	pisiform	adjective, Latin pisum = a pea; hence, pea-shaped.
	pituitary	Latin pituita = mucous or phlegm, the gland was thought to produce mucous that discharged through the nose.
	placenta	Latin = a flat, round cake.
	placode	Greek plax = plate or flat, and eidos = shape or form.
	plane	Latin planus = flat; hence, a real or imaginary flat surface.
	planta	Latin the sole of the foot; adjective - plantar or plantaris.
	plantar	adjective, Latin planta = the sole of the foot.
	platysma	Greek = flat object; hence, the flat subcutaneous muscle extending from below the clavicle to the mouth.
	pleura	Greek = a rib. Later used to name the serous membrane lining the chest walls and the lung on each side.
	plexus	Latin = a network or plait.
	plica	Latin plicare = to fold; hence, a fold.
	pneumon	Greek pneuma = air.
	pollex	Latin = thumb.
	pollicis	genitive (possessive case) of Latin pollex = thumb; hence of the thumb.
	pons	Latin = bridge; adjective - pontine; part of the brain stem.
	popliteus	Latin poples = the ham or thigh, and sometimes, the knee; adjective, popliteal, referring to the fossa behind the knee or its contents.
	porta	Latin = a gate, also Latin portare = to carry; hence, the portal system carries venous blood from the alimentary tract to the porta hepatis; adjective - portal.
	porus	Latin a pore or foramen; hence, the openings of the acoustic meatuses.
	posterior	adjective, Latin post = behind (in place or time).
	posture	Latin positus = placed; hence, the position of the body as a whole at a given moment, e.g. erect, recumbent, prone, supine, sitting, kneeling.
	precuneus	Latin pre = before, and cuneus = wedge; hence, the parietal lobule anterior to the cuneus.
	prepuce	Latin praeputium = foreskin (of penis or clitoris).
	princeps	Latin primus = chief, and capere = to take; hence chief or principal.
	procerus	Latin = slender, elongated; hence, the vertical slip of muscle between the medial part of frontalis and the root of the nose.
	process	Latin = going forwards, used to indicate growing out, i.e., an outgrowth, usually of bone, e.g., the zygomatic process of the temporal.
	processus	Latin going forwards, used to indicate growing out, i.e., an outgrowth, usually of bone, e.g., the zygomatic process of the temporal.
	profundus	Latin pro = before, and fundus = bottom; hence profundus = deep.
	prominens	Latin = projecting.
	promontory	Latin promontorium = a headland, i.e., part of land jutting into the sea - used for a bony prominence.
	pronate	Latin pronatus = bent forwards; hence to pronate = to turn the hand so that the palm faces posteriorly.
	prone	Latin pronatus = bent forwards; hence, recumbent face-down posture.
	proprioceptive	Latin proprius = one's own, and captum = taken; hence, sensory impulses received by the joints and muscles within one's own body.
	prosection	Latin pro = before, and sectum = cut. A dissection prepared for demonstration of anatomic structures.
	prosector	Latin pro = before, and sectum = cut. One who prepares a dissection for demonstration.
	prosencephalon	Latin pro = in front, and Greek enkephalos = brain; hence, the part of the brain rostral to the midbrain.
	prostate	Greek pro = before, and Latin = statum = stood; hence, something which stands before - the prostate stands before the urinary bladder.
	protract	Latin protractus = drawn out; hence, to put forwards (e.g., shoulder or mandible). Protraction - the act of protracting.
	protrude	Latin protrudo = thrust forwards, e.g. the tongue; protrusion - the act of protruding.
	protuberance	Latin protubero = I bulge out; hence, a bulging bony feature (see tuber).
	proximal	adjective, Latin proxime = nearest; hence, nearer to the root of a limb.
	psoas	Greek = loin.
	pterion	Greek pteron = wing; hence, the region where the tip of the greater wing of the sphenoid meets or is close to the parietal, separating the frontal from the squamous temporal; alternatively the region where these 4 bones meet.
	pterygoid	adjective, Greek pteryx = wing, and eidos = shape; hence, wing-shaped.
	ptosis	Greek = fall; hence, drooping of an eyelid, or descent of an internal organ.
	puberty	Latin puber = adult; hence, the time when hair appears in the pubic region - i.e., near the pubis - as a secondary sexual characteristic.
	pubes	Latin = adult or signs of manhood, hence the lower abdominal secondary sexual hair.
	pudendal	adjective, Latin pudendus = shameful; hence, pertaining to the external genitalia.
	pulmonary	adjective, Latin pulmo = lung.
	pulp	Latin pulpa = a soft part of the body or tooth.
	pulposus	Latin pulpa = a soft part of the body or tooth, hence pulpy or soft.
	pulvinar	Latin pulvinus = rounded cushion; the posterior end of the thalamus.
	punctum	Latin = a sharp point; hence a very small point or orifice.
	pupil	Latin pupilla = the central black orifice in the iris; adjective - pupillary.
	putamen	Latin = peel, husk or shell of fruit or seed (the external part of the lentiform nucleus).
	pyelogram	Greek pyelos = basin, and gramma = diagram; hence, radiograph of the renal pelvis (and usually of the ureter) after filling with contrast medium.
	pylorus	Greek = gate-keeper; hence, the part of the pyloric canal containing the sphincter, which guards the opening into the duodenum; adjective - pyloric.
	pyramid	Greek pyramis = a pyramid (solid with 3- or more-sided base, and flat sides meeting at the apex), adjective - pyramidal.
	quadrangular	Latin quadri = four and angulus = angle; hence square or rectangular.
	quadratus	Latin = square or rectangular.
	quadriceps	Latin quadri = four, and caput = head; hence, a 4-headed muscle.
	quadrigeminus	Latin quadri = four, and gemini = paired or twinned; hence four-fold.
	radiation	Latin radiatus = radiant; hence, divergence from a common centre (cf. radius).
	radicle	diminutive of Latin radix = root; hence a small root, adjective - radicular.
	radius	Latin = spoke of a wheel, which rotates around the hub; hence, the lateral bone of the forearm, which rotates (though around an almost vertical axis); adjective - radial.
	radix	Latin = root.
	ramify	Latin ramus = a branch; and facere = to make; hence, to branch.
	ramus	Latin = branch; hence, a branch of a nerve.
	raphe	Greek a seam; hence, the line of junction of the edges of 2 muscles or areas of skin.
	recess	Latin recessus = a secluded area or pocket; hence, a small cavity set apart from a main cavity.
	rectum	adjective, Latin rectus = straight. (The rectum was named in animals where it is straight - which it is not in Man).
	rectus	Latin rectus = straight.
	recurrent	Latin re = back, and currere = to run; hence a structure that bends, and runs back toward its source.
	reflex	an involuntary response - muscular or secretory - to a stimulus mediated by the central nervous system.
	renal	adjective, Latin ren = kidney.
	rete	Latin = a net; hence, a network of veins or tubules.
	reticular	adjective, Latin reticulum = small net; hence having a network.
	reticulum	diminutive of Latin rete = net; adjective - reticular.
	retina	derivation uncertain - the innermost of the 3 layers of the eyeball.
	retinaculum	Latin = a tether; hence, a thickened band of deep fascia which retains tendons or the patella.
	retract	Latin re = back, and tractum = pulled; hence, to pull something back, and retraction - the act of retracting.
	retro	prefix - Latin = backwards.
	retroflexion	Latin retro = backwards, and flexion = bent; hence, the position of being bent backwards, applied to the angulation of the body of the uterus on the cervix.
	retroversion	Latin retro = backwards, and version = turned; hence, the position of being turned backwards, applied to the angulation of the cervix uteri on the vagina.
	rhinencephalon	Greek rhinion = nostril, and enkephalos = brain; hence, the part of the brain concerned with smell (relatively large in lower animals).
	rhombencephalon	Greek rhombos = rhomboid, and enkephalos = brain; hence, the hind-brain - the medulla oblongata, pons and cerebellum, which enclose the rhomboid fossa (the floor of the 4th ventricle).
	rhomboid	Greek rhombus = a figure with 4 equal sides, not at right angles, and eidos = shape or form, hence, the shape of a rhombus.
	rima	Latin = chink; hence, e.g., rima palpebrarum = the chink between the free edges of the eyelids.
	risorius	Latin risor = scoffer; hence, muscle risorius is the facial muscle which expresses laughter by drawing the corner of the mouth laterally.
	rostral	adjective, Latin rostrum = beak, implying nearness to the corpus callosum.
	rostrum	Latin beak, which decorated the Roman orator's platform; hence, a platform or beak-like structure; adjective - rostral.
	rotate	Latin rota = wheel; hence, to turn, and rotation, the act of turning.
	rotundum	Latin rotnudus = round.
	rubro	prefix, Latin rubrum = red.
	ruga	Latin = a wrinkle.
	rugose	adjective, Latin ruga = a wrinkle, hence, wrinkled.
	sac	Latin saccus = a sack.
	saccule	Latin sacculus, diminutive of saccus.
	sacrum	Latin sacer = sacred (probably considered so because of its size).
	sagittal	adjective, Latin sagitta = arrow, because the sagittal suture is notched posteriorly, like an arrow, by the lambdoid sutures.
	salivary	adjective, Latin saliva = spit.
	salpinx	Greek = trumpet; hence, the uterine or auditory tube, each of which is trumpet-shaped.
	saphenous	adjective, Greek saphenes = obviously visible. The saphenous veins become very apparent when varicose.
	sartorius	Latin = tailor; hence, sartorius muscles, which produce the posture in which tailors once worked, squatting on the floor.
	scala	Latin = stairs; hence the parallel spiral passages which wind up to, or down from, the cupula of the bony cochlea.
	scalene	adjective, Greek skalenos = uneven, hence a triangle with unequal sides, an apt description of the shape of scalenus anterior and scalenus medius muscles.
	scalenus	adjective, Greek skalenos = uneven, hence a triangle with unequal sides, an apt description of the shape of scalenus anterior and scalenus medius muscles.
	scaphoid	adjective, Greek skaphe = skiff, and eidos = shape or form; hence the carpal which is hollowed out on its distal surface for the head of the capitate; also the fossa occupied by tensor veli palatini muscle.
	scapula	Greek skapto = I dig, because of the resemblance to a spade.
	sciatic	adjective, Greek ischion = hip-joint. Ischiadikos meant pertaining to the ischium or hip - later changed to sciatic. (The ischium earns its name because it forms > 2/5 of the acetabulum, whereas the ilium contributes < 2/5, and the pubis only 1/5). The sciatic nerve lies on the ischium.
	sclera	Greek skleros = hard; hence the tough, outer layer of the eyeball; adjective - scleral.
	sclerotome	Greek skleros = hard, and tome = a cutting.
	scoliosis	Greek skolios = crooked or curve, and -osis = condition, hence, the lateral curvature of the spine.
	scrotum	possibly derived from Latin scorteus = leather; adjective - scrotal.
	secrete	Latin secretus = separated; hence, to produce a chemical substance by glandular activity - adjective, secretory; noun, secretion.
	sella	Latin = saddle; adjective - sellar, sella turcica = Turkish saddle.
	semen	Latin = seed; adjective - seminal (seminal vesicle).
	semilunaris	adjective, Latin semi = half, and luna = moon; hence, having a half-moon shape.
	semimembranosus	adjective, Latin semi = half, and membrana = membrane; hence, the hamstring muscle of which the upper half is membranous.
	seminiferous	Latin semen = seed and ferre = to carry, to bear; hence, the sperm-producing tubules in the testes.
	semitendinosus	adjective, Latin semi = half, and tendo = I stretch; hence, the hamstring muscle of which the lower half is tendinous.
	septum	Latin saeptum = fenced in; hence, a dividing fence or partition.
	serous	Latin = like serum.
	serratus	adjective, Latin = notched like the edge of a saw (serrate).
	sesamoid	adjective, Greek sesamodes, eidos = shape or form; like grains of sesame, hence, small bone in tendon at site of friction.
	sialogram	Greek sialon = saliva, and gramma = a diagram; hence, a radiograph of a salivary duct.
	sigmoid	adjective, Greek sigma, the form used at the end of a word having an S-shape; hence, S-shaped.
	sinister	adjective, Latin = left-sided.
	sinus	Latin = a hollow or space which may contain air, venous or arterial blood, lymph or serous fluid; adjective, sinusoid.
	sole	the lower surface of the foot - see soleus.
	soleus	adjective, Latin solea = flatfish or sandal; hence soleus muscle which does not enter the sole of the foot, but resembles the fish.
	solitarius	Latin = solitary, alone.
	soma	Greek = the body.
	somatic	adjective, Greek soma = the body; hence, pertaining to the body frame but not to its viscera.
	somite	Greek soma = body, hence an embryonic body segment.
	spasm	Greek spasmos = an involuntary contraction of a muscle; adjective - spastic, or spasmodic.
	sperma	Greek = seed or semen, adjective, spermatic.
	sphenoid	adjective, Greek sphen = wedge, and eidos = shape or form; hence the unpaired bone which is wedged into the base of the skull between the unpaired frontal and occipital.
	sphincter	Greek sphinkter = a tight binder; hence, a circular muscle which closes an orifice; adjective - sphincteric.
	spine	Latin spina = a thorn; hence, a sharp process, or a lay term for the vertebral column; adjective, spinous, spinal.
	splanchnic	adjective, Greek splanchnon = a viscus or internal organ; hence pertaining to viscera.
	spleen	Latin splen = the spleen; hence; adjective - splenic (Latin - lien).
	splenium	Greek splenion = a bandage. The splenium of corpus callosum resembles a partly rolled bandage.
	splenius	Greek splenion = a bandage. Hence, splenius capitis muscle, with its finely-woven fibres and its quarter-spiral twist from a coronal to a sagittal plane.
	spongiosum	adjective, Greek spongia = a sponge.
	squama	Latin = a scale (as of fish or reptile); adjective - squamous.
	squamous	adjective, Latin squama = a scale (as of fish or reptile), hence scale-like.
	stapes	Latin = stirrup; adjective - stapedial, stapedius.
	stellate	adjective, Latin stella = star.
	stereocilia	Greek stereos = solid, and cilium = eyelash, hence non-motile microvilli.
	sternebra	Greek sternon = chest or breast, and -bra = from vertebra, hence the segments of the sternum that fuse in later life.
	sternum	Greek sternon = chest or breast; adjective, sternal.
	stoma	Greek = a mouth.
	stomach	Greek stomachos = gullet or oesophagus, later applied to the wider part of the digestive tract just below the diaphragm; adjective - gastric.
	strabismus	Greek strabismos = squinting; hence, inability to focus both eyes on a given point.
	stratum	Latin = a covering sheet, or layer.
	stria	Latin = furrow, applied to a streak or stripe.
	striatum	adjective, Latin striatus = furrowed; hence, corpus striatum, the caudate and lentiform nuclei connected by grey strands which traverse the internal capsule, giving the strands a striated appearance.
	stroma	Greek = bed or mattress, deep to the covers; hence, the supporting framework of an organ, as distinct from its special parenchyma.
	styloid	adjective, Greek stylos = an instrument for writing, and eidos = shape or form; hence a pen- or pencil-like structure.
	subclavian	Latin sub = under or below, and clavis = a key, hence under the clavicle.
	subiculum	diminutive of Latin subix = a support.
	sublimis	Latin = superficial.
	substantia	Latin = a substance.
	succus	Latin = juice (succus entericus, the secretion of the small intestine).
	sudomotor	Latin sudor = sweat, and movere = to move, hence stimulating the sweat glands.
	sulcus	Latin = a groove.
	superciliary	adjective, Latin super = above, and cilia = eyelid; hence, pertaining to the eyebrow.
	superficial	adjective, Latin super = above, and facies = surface; hence, nearer the surface.
	superior	adjective, comparative of Latin superus = above.
	supination	the act of turning the back of the hand to face posteriorly; verb - supinate.
	supine	adjective, Latin supinus, recumbent on the back. Hence, also, the position of the hand with the dorsum facing posteriorly.
	supra	Latin prefix = superior to.
	suprarenal	Latin supra = above, over, superior to, and ren = the kidney.
	sural	adjective, Latin sura = the calf.
	sustentaculum	Latin = a support, which sustains; sustentaculum tali - the ledge on the calcaneus supporting part of the talus.
	suture	Latin sutura = a seam; the fibrous joints between cranial bones.
	sympathetic	Greek syn = with, and pathos = feeling; hence, the peripheral part of the autonomic nervous system which arises in the thoracolumbar region of the spinal cord and communicates with other nerves.
	symphysis	Greek syn = with, and physis = growth; hence a joint where union between the bones is by fibrocartilage - used for median joints. (Symphysis of the mandible is exceptional, the 2 halves fusing before the age of 2).
	synapse	Greek syn = with, and aptein = to join; hence, the zone through which an impulse passes from one neuron to another.
	synchondrosis	Greek syn = with, and chondros = cartilage; hence, the union of 2 bones by cartilage.
	syncytium	Greek syn = with, and kytos = cell, hence a multinucleate mass of protoplasm, formed by the merging of cells.
	syndesmosis	Greek syn = with, and desmos = a band; hence, the union of 2 bones by fibrous tissue.
	syndrome	Greek syn = with, and dromos = running; hence, a group of signs and symptoms which is characteristic of a certain pathology.
	synergist	Greek syn = with, and ergon = work; hence a muscle which cooperates with others in producing a given movement.
	synovia	Greek syn = with, and ovum = egg; hence the fluid in freely movable joints resembling egg-white; adjective, synovial.
	synovial	adjective, Greek syn = with, and ovum = egg; hence pertaining to the fluid in freely movable joints resembling egg-white.
	systole	Greek = contraction; hence the contraction of cardiac muscle.
	taenia	Latin = a tape or ribbon.
	talus	Latin = ankle-bone; hence, the tortoise-shaped tarsal of the talocrural (ankle) joint.
	tapetum	Latin = a carpet or coverlet; hence the roof of the posterior horn of the lateral ventricle.
	tarsus	Greek tarsos = a flat surface; hence the flat part of the foot, and later, the bones of the foot behind the metatarsals, adjective, tarsal.
	tectorial	adjective, Latin tectorium = an overlying surface like plaster, a covering or roof.
	tectum	Latin = roof; hence the roof of the midbrain.
	tegmen	Latin = covering (cf. integument = the skin).
	tegmentum	Latin = covering.
	tela	Latin = a web; e.g., a fold of pia mater containing a choroid plexus.
	telencephalon	Greek telos = end, and enkephalos = brain; hence the rostral part of the developing brain. (With the diencephalon, it makes up the prosencephalon).
	temporal	Latin tempus = time; hence, the temporal area of the scalp, where grey hair first appears, marking the progress of ageing.
	tendon	Latin tendo = I stretch out.
	tenia	Latin = a tape or ribbon.
	tensor	Latin tensus = stretched; hence a muscle which produces tension.
	tentorium	Latin = tent; tentorium cerebelli.
	teres	Latin = rounded, cylindrical.
	testicle	Latin testiculus = the male gonad (see testis).
	testis	Latin testiculus = the male gonad. From Latin testis = a witness. Under Roman law, no man could bear witness (testify) unless he possessed both testes. Plural - testes.
	tetralogy	Greek tetra = four, and logos = discourse, hence a combination of four elements e.g., symptoms or defects.
	tetrology	Greek tetra = four, and logos = discourse, hence a combination of four elements or symptoms.
	thalamus	Greek = bedroom - derivation obscure, though the posterior end of the thalamus is rounded and named pulvinar = cushion.
	theca	Greek theka = a capsule, sheath.
	thenar	Greek = palm of hand; hence, the ball of the thumb.
	thorax	Greek = the chest, adjective, thoracic.
	thrombus	Greek = a clot.
	thymus	Greek = sweetbread.
	thyroid	Greek thyreos = shield, and eidos = shape or form; hence, shaped like a shield (which shields the glottis).
	tibia	Latin = the shin-bone, adjective, tibial.
	tonsil	Latin tonsilla = tonsil (e.g., palatine tonsil).
	torus	Latin = a bulge.
	trabecula	diminutive of Latin trabs = a beam; hence the supporting fibres of a structure.
	trachea	Greek tracheia = rough, referring to its corrugations.
	tract	Latin tractus = an elongated strand of wool or dough; hence a pathway for nerve fibres.
	tragus	Latin = goat, because of the beard-like tuft of hair on its internal aspect.
	transverse	perpendicular to the long axis.
	trapezium	Greek trapezion = a trapezium - a quadrilateral with 2 sides parallel.
	trapezius	Greek trapezion = a trapezium - a quadrilateral with 2 sides parallel; hence, trapezius muscle, the diamond-shape of both trapezii muscles together.
	trapezoid	Greek trapezion = a trapezium - a quadrilateral with 2 sides parallel, and eidos = shape or form, hence resembling a trapezium.
	triceps	Latin tres = 3, and caput = head; hence a 3-headed muscle.
	trigeminal	Latin trigeminus = triplets; hence, cranial nerve V, with 3 large divisions.
	trigone	Latin trigonum = a triangle.
	triquetral	Latin triquetrus = 3-cornered.
	triticea	Latin triticum = a grain of wheat; hence, the tiny cartilage in the lateral thyrohyoid ligament.
	trochanter	Greek = a runner; hence, the bony landmark, the greater trochanter, which moves so obviously in running.
	trochlea	Greek trochilia = a pulley.
	truncus	Latin = trunk (of a tree).
	tuber	Latin tuber = a swelling or lump.
	tubercle	Latin diminutive of tuber, a small prominence, usually bony.
	tuberculum	Latin diminutive of tuber, a small prominence, usually bony.
	tuberosity	Latin tuber = a swelling or lump, usually large and rough.
	tunica	Latin = shirt; hence a covering.
	turbinate	Latin turbo = a child's (spinning) top; hence shaped like a top. Old term for nasal conchi.
	tympanum	Latin = a drum.
	ulna	Latin = elbow or arm; hence, the medial bone of the forearm.
	umbilicus	Latin = the navel.
	umbo	Latin = the boss on the centre of a shield, umbo of tympanic membrane.
	uncinate	Latin uncinatus = hooked.
	uncus	Latin = hook; adjective - uncinate.
	ungual	pertaining to Latin unguis = finger-nail.
	urachus	Greek ouron = urine, and echein = to hold, hence the canal connecting the bladder and umbilicus in the foetus.
	ureter	Greek oureter = passage from kidney to bladder.
	urethra	Greek ourethra = passage from bladder to exterior.
	uterus	Latin = womb.
	utricle	diminutive of Latin uterus = womb.
	uvea	Latin uva = grape. The pigmented vascular layer of the eyeball (iris, ciliary body and choroid).
	uvula	diminutive of Latin uva = grape.
	vagina	Latin = sheath; hence, invagination is the acquisition of a sheath by pushing inwards into a membrane, and evagination is similar but produced by pushing outwards.
	vagus	Latin = wandering; hence, cranial nerve X, which leaves the head and neck to traverse the thorax and upper part of the abdomen.
	valgus	Latin = knock-kneed.
	vallate	Latin vallatus = walled; hence, the large papillae on the tongue which are depressed below the surface and are surrounded by a groove which is itself bounded by a wall.
	vallecula	diminutive of Latin vallis = a fossa.
	valve	Latin valva = the segment of a folding-door.
	valvula	diminutive of Latin valva.
	varicocoele	Latin varix = vein and Greek kele = tumour, hernia, hence a varicose condition of the veins of the pampiniform plexus.
	varus	Latin = bow-legged.
	vas	Latin = vessel (plural = vasa).
	vascular	Latin vasculum, diminutive of vas; hence, pertaining to blood vessels.
	vastus	Latin = great, vast, extensive.
	vein	Latin vena; adjective - venous.
	velum	Latin = curtain; veli = of a curtain.
	venter	Latin = belly; hence, ventral, pertaining to the belly side.
	ventricle	diminutive of Latin venter = a small belly.
	vermiform	Latin vermis = a worm, and forma = shape; hence, worm-shaped.
	vermis	Latin = worm; hence, the segmented median part of the cerebellum.
	vertebra	Latin verto = I turn; hence, one of the movable bones of the backbone which seems to be shaped for rotation.
	vertex	Latin = summit; hence the highest point on the skull.
	vertical	perpendicular (at a right angle) to the horizontal.
	vesica	Latin = bladder, adjective - vesical.
	vesicle	diminutive of Latin vesica = bladder, hence a little bladder.
	vesicula	diminutive of Latin vesica = bladder; seminal vesicle.
	vestibule	Latin vestibulum = entrance hall.
	vibrissa	Latin vibrare = to vibrate; hence, the hairs in the nasal vestibule which vibrate in the current of air.
	villus	Latin a hair; hence, a vascular, hair-like process, usually projecting from a mucous surface.
	vincula	Latin = fetters (singular - vinculum); hence, the delicate vascular synovial bands passing to a tendon in the digits.
	visceral	adjective, Latin viscus = an internal organ.
	viscus	Latin = an internal organ, plural - viscera, adjective - visceral.
	vital	Latin vita = life.
	vitelline	Latin vitellus = yolk.
	vitreous	Latin vitreus = glassy.
	vocal	adjective, Latin vox = voice.
	vomer	Latin = plough-share; hence, the bone of the nasal septum which is split in two at its upper edge.
	vorticosae	Latin vortex = whirl; hence the whirl-like arrangement of the 4 venae vorticosae leaving the eyeball.
	vulva	Latin = the external female genitalia.
	xiphoid	Greek xiphos = a sword, and eidos = shape or form; hence, sword-shaped.
	zona	Latin = a belt; hence, a circular band.
	zonule	diminutive of zona.
	zygapophysis	Greek zygon = yoke, apo = from, physis = growth; the articular process of a vertebra. The downward "growth" of the vertebra above articulates with the upward "growth" of the vertebra below, forming a zygapophyseal joint.
	zygoma	Greek zygon = yoke; hence, the bone joining the maxillary, frontal, temporal and sphenoid bones.
	zygomatic	adjective, Greek zygon = yoke; hence, pertaining to the bone joining the maxillary, frontal, temporal and sphenoid bones.
	zygote	Greek zygon = yoke; hence the fusion of the male and female gametes.

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