Medical Terminology - Common Prefixes

Front 1

a-

Back 1

without, lack of

Front 2

ab-

Back 2

away from

Front 3

abdomi(n)-

Back 3

abdomen

Front 4

acr(o)-

Back 4

pertaining to an etremity

Front 5

ad-

Back 5

to, toward

Front 6

aden(o)-

Back 6

pertaining to a gland

Front 7

an-

Back 7

without, lack of

Front 8

ana-

Back 8

up, back, again

Front 9

angio-

Back 9

vessel

Front 10

ante-

Back 10

before, forward

Front 11

anti-

Back 11

against, opposed to

Front 12

arteri(o)-

Back 12

artery

Front 13

arthro-

Back 13

pertaining to a joint

Front 14

auto-

Back 14

self

Front 15

bi-

Back 15

two

Front 16

bi(o)-

Back 16

pertaining to life

Front 17

blast(o)-

Back 17

germ or cell

Front 18

blephar(o)-

Back 18

pertaining to an eyelid

Front 19

brady-

Back 19

slow

Front 20

calc-

Back 20

stone; also heel

Front 21

cardio-

Back 21

pertaining to the heart

Front 22

cephal(o)-

Back 22

pertaining to the head

Front 23

cerebr(o)-

Back 23

pertaining to the cerebrum, a part of the brain

Front 24

cervic(o)-

Back 24

pertaining to the neck or uterine cervix

Front 25

chole-

Back 25

pertaining to bile

Front 26

chondr(o)-

Back 26

pertaining to cartilage

Front 27

circum-

Back 27

around, about

Front 28

contra-

Back 28

against, opposite

Front 29

cost(o)-

Back 29

pertaining to a rib

Front 30

cyan(o)-

Back 30

blue

Front 31

cyst(o)-

Back 31

pertaining to the bladder or any fluid-containing sac

Front 32

cyt(o)-

Back 32

pertaining to a cell

Front 33

de-

Back 33

down from

Front 34

dermat(o)-

Back 34

pertaining to the skin

Front 35

di-

Back 35

twice, double

Front 36

dia-

Back 36

through, completely

Front 37

dys-

Back 37

difficult, painful, abnormal

-ant. eu-

Front 38

ect(o)-

Back 38

out from

Front 39

electro-

Back 39

pertaining to electricity

Front 40

end(o)-

Back 40

within

Front 41

enter(o)-

Back 41

pertaining to the intestines

Front 42

epi-

Back 42

upon, on

Front 43

erythr(o)-

Back 43

pertaining to red or erythrocytes - RBC's (red blood cells)

Front 44

eu-

Back 44

easy, good, normal

-ant. dys-

Front 45

ex(o)-

Back 45

outside

Front 46

extra-

Back 46

outside, in addition

Front 47

gastr(o)-

Back 47

pertaining to the stomach

Front 48

glyc(o)-

Back 48

sugar

Front 49

gynec(o)-

Back 49

pertaining to females or the female reproductive system

Front 50

hemat(o)-

Back 50

pertaining to the blood

- syn. hem(o)

Front 51

hemi-

Back 51

half

Front 52

hem(o)-

Back 52

pertaining to the blood

-syn. hemat(o)-

Front 53

hepat(o)-

Back 53

pertaining to the liver

Front 54

hom-

Back 54

same or like

Front 55

hydr(o)-

Back 55

water

Front 56

hyper-

Back 56

over, excessive

Front 57

hypo-

Back 57

under, deficient

Front 58

hyster(o)-

Back 58

pertaining to the uterus

Front 59

infra-

Back 59

below

Front 60

inter-

Back 60

between

Front 61

intra-

Back 61

within

Front 62

iso-

Back 62

equal

Front 63

later(o)-

Back 63

side

Front 64

leuk(o)-

Back 64

pertaining to white or to leukocytes (WBC - white blood cells)

Front 65

lith(o)-

Back 65

pertaining to stone

Front 66

macr(o)-

Back 66

large

Front 67

mal-

Back 67

bad or abnormal

Front 68

medi-

Back 68

middle

Front 69

mega-

Back 69

large

Front 70

mening(o)-

Back 70

pertaining to a membrane, particularly the meninges

Front 71

micr(o)-

Back 71

small

Front 72

mono-

Back 72

one

Front 73

myel(o)-

Back 73

pertaining to the spinal cord, the bone marrow, or myelin

Front 74

my(o)-

Back 74

pertaining to muscle

Front 75

nas(o)-

Back 75

pertaining to the nose

Front 76

ne(o)-

Back 76

new

Front 77

nephr(o)-

Back 77

pertaining to the kidney

Front 78

neur(o)-

Back 78

pertaining to the nerve or the nervous system

Front 79

noct(o)-

Back 79

night

Front 80

olig(o)-

Back 80

little, deficient

Front 81

oophor(o)-

Back 81

pertaining to the ovary

Front 82

opthalm(o)-

Back 82

pertaining to the eye

Front 83

orchid(o)-

Back 83

pertaining to the testicles

Front 84

orth(o)-

Back 84

straight to normal

Front 85

oste(o)-

Back 85

pertaining to bone

Front 86

ot(o)-

Back 86

pertaining to the ear

Front 87

para-

Back 87

by the side of

Front 88

path(o)-

Back 88

pertaining to disease

Front 89

per-

Back 89

through

Front 90

peri-

Back 90

around

Front 91

phag(o)-

Back 91

pertaining to eating, ingesting, or engulfing

Front 92

pharyng(o)-

Back 92

pertaining to the throat, or pharynx

Front 93

phleb(o)-

Back 93

pertaining to the vein

Front 94

pnuem(o)-

Back 94

pertaining to respiration, the lungs, or air

Front 95

poly-

Back 95

many

Front 96

post-

Back 96

after, behind

Front 97

pre-

Back 97

before

Front 98

pro-

Back 98

before, in front of

Front 99

proct(o)-

Back 99

pertaining to the rectum

Front 100

psued(o)-

Back 100

false

Front 101

psych(o)-

Back 101

pertaining to the mind

Front 102

pulm(o)-

Back 102

pertaining to the lung

Front 103

pyel(o)-

Back 103

pertaining to the kidney or pelvis

Front 104

py(o)-

Back 104

pertaining to pus

Front 105

quadr(i)-

Back 105

four

Front 106

retr(o)-

Back 106

backward or behind

Front 107

rhin(o)-

Back 107

pertaining to the nose

Front 108

scalping(o)-

Back 108

pertaining to a tube

Front 109

scler(o)-

Back 109

hard; also means pertaining to the sclera

Front 110

semi-

Back 110

half or partial

Front 111

sub-

Back 111

under, moderately

Front 112

super-

Back 112

above, excessive, or more than normal

Front 113

supra-

Back 113

above

Front 114

tachy-

Back 114

fast

Front 115

thorac(o)-

Back 115

pertaining to the chest

Front 116

trans-

Back 116

across

Front 117

tri-

Back 117

three

Front 118

uni-

Back 118

one

Front 119

vas(o)-

Back 119

vessel