ROOT WORDS

Root Words Meaning Example

A
Abdomin abdomen abdominal
Acanth thorny, spiny acanthaceous
Acetabul acetabulum (hip socket) acetabulum
Acou hearing acoustic
Acr extremities; height acral
Actin ray; radius actinic
Aden gland adenocarcinoma
Adenoid adenoids adenoiditis
Adren adrenal gland adrenal
Adrenal adrenal gland adrenalectomy
Aer air; gas aerate
Albumin albumin albuminaturia
Algesi pain analgesia
Alveoli alveolus alveolitis
Ambly dull; dim amblyopia
Amni amnion amniocele
Amnion amnion amnionic
Amyl starch amylose
An anus anus
Andr male androgen
Angi vessel angina
Anis unequal; dissimilar anisothenic
Ankyl crooked; bent; fused ankylosed
Antr antrum (cavity, chamber) antrum
Aort aorta aortic
Aponeur aponeurosis aponeurotic
Appendic appendix appendicitis
Arche; Archi first; beginning archecentric
Arteri artery arteriography
Arteriol arteriole (small artery) arteriolosclerosis
Arthr joint arthritis
Articul joint articulation
Atel imperfect; incomplete atelectasis
Ather yellowish; fatty plaque atherosclerosis
Atri atrium (chamber) atrioventricular
Aur ear aural
Aut self autoantibody
Axill armpit axilla
Azot urea; nitrogen azotemia
B
Bacteri bacteria bacterial
Balan glans penis balanitis
Bi life biology
Bil bile biliary (duct)
Blast developing cell blastoctye
Blephar eyelid blepharoplasty
Brachi arm brachial (artery)
Bronch bronchus bronchitis
Bronchiol bronchiole bronchiole
Bucc cheek buccal
Burs bursa (cavity) bursitis
C
Calc calcium calcium
Cancer cancer cancer
Carcin cancer carcinoma
Cardi heart cardiac
Carp carpals (wrist bones) carpal tunnel
tail; toward the lower part of the
Caud body caudal
Cec cecum cecal
Celi abdomen (abdominal cavity) celioenterotomy
Cephal head cephalad
Cerebell cerebellum cerebellar
Cerebr cerebrum, brain cerebromedullary
Cerumin cerumen (earwax) ceruminal
Cervic cervix cervical
Cheil lip cheilitis
Chir hand chirality
Chol gall; bile cholecystectomy
Cholangi bile duct cholangitis
Choledoch common bile duct choledochitis
Chondr cartilage chondral
Chori chorion chorioretinal
Chrom color chromatogenous
Clavic clavicle (collarbone) clavicle
Clavicul clavicle (collarbone) clavicular
Col colon colonitis
Colp vagina colposcopy
Coni dust coniosis
Conjunctiv conjunctiva conjunctivitis
Cor pupil corectasis
Core pupil corectasis
Corne cornea corneal
Coron heart coronary
Cortic cortex (outer layer of body organ) cortical
Cost rib costicervical
Crani cranium (skull) cranial
Cry cold cryotherapy
Crypt hidden cryptic
Culd culdesac culdesac
Cutane skin subcutaneous
Cyan blue cyanotic
Cyes pregnancy cyesis
Cyst bladder; sac cystic
Cyt cell cytology
D
Dacry tear, tear duct dacryoadenitis
Dactyl fingers or toes dactylolysis
Dent tooth dentition
Derm skin dermis
Dermat skin dermatology
Dextr right ambidextrous
Diaphor sweat diaphoresis
Diaphragmat diaphragm diaphragmatitis
Dipl(o) two; double diploid
Dips thirst dipsosis
Disk intervertebral disk diskectomy
Diverticul diverticulum diverticulitis
Dors back (of the body) dorsal
Duoden duodenum duodenal
Dur hard; dura mater dural
Dynam power or strength dynamogenic
E
Ech sound echocardiogram
Ectop located away from usual place ectopic (pregnancy)
Electr electricity, electrical activity electrocardiogram
Embry embryo; to be full embryonic
Emmetr a normal measues emmetropia
Encephal brain encephalitis
Endocrin endocrine endocrinosis
Enter intestines enteritis
Epididym epididymis epididymal
Epiglott epiglottis epiglottiditis
Episi vulva episiotomy
Epitheli epithelium epithelial
Erythr red erythematous
Esophag esophagus esophagocele
Esthesi sensation, sensitivity, feeling anesthesia
Eti cause (of disease) etiology
F
Faci face facioplasty
Femor femur (upper leg bone) femoral
Fet fetus; unborn child fetal
Fibr fibrous tissue, fibers fibroma
Fibul fibula (lower leg) fibular
G
Gangli ganglion ganglia
Ganglion ganglion ganglionated
Gastr stomach gastritis
Ger old age; aged geriatric
Geront old age; aged gerontology
Gingiv gum gingivitis
Glomerul glomerulus glomerulonephritis
Gloss tongue glossoncus
Gluc sweetness; sugar glucose
Glyc sugar glycerin
Glycos sugar glycosamine
Gnath jaw gnathitis
Gnos knowledge gnosis
Gon seed gonad
Gravid pregnancy gravida
Gyn woman gynopathic
Gynec woman gynecology
H
Hem blood hemoglobin
Hemat blood hematocrit
Hepat liver hepatitis
Herni hernia herniated
Heter other heterosexual
Hidr sweat hidradenoid
Hist tissue histology
Hom same homogeneous
Home sameness; unchanging homeostasis
Humer humerus (upper arm bone) humerus
Hydr water hydrate, dehydrate
Hymen hymen hymen
Hypn sleep hypnogenic
Hyster uterus hysterectomy
I
Iatr medicine; physician iatrogenic
Ichthy fish icthyoid
Ile ileum ileotomy
Ili ilium iliosacral
Immune immune immunodeficiency
Iri iris iritoectomy
Irid iris iritis
Is(o) equal; same isocellular
Isch deficiency; blockage ischemia
Ischi ischium ischiorectal
J
Jejun jejunum jejunotomy
K
Kal potassium hypokalemia
Kary nucleus karyon
Kerat cornea keratotomy
Kerat horny tissue; hard keratosis
Kin movement kinesis
Kinesi movement; motion kinesiology
Kyph hump kyphosis
L
Labi lips labium
Labyrinth labyrinth labyrinthitis
Lacrim tear duct, tear lacrimal
Lact milk lactation
Lamin lamina (thin; flat plate or layer) laminar
Lapar abdomen laparoscopy
Laryng larynx laryngitis
Later side lateral
Lei smooth leiomyoma
Leuk white leukemia
Lingu tongue lingual
Lip fat lipid
Lith stone; calculus lithotripsy
Lob lobe lobular
Lord bent forward lordosis
Lymph lymph lymphoma
M
Macr abnormal largeness macromolecular
Mamm breast mammary
Mandibul mandible (lower jawbone) mandibular
Mast breast mastitis
Mastoid mastoid mastoidotomy
Maxilla maxilla (upper jawbone) maxillary
Meat meatus (opening) meatus
Melan black melanoma
Men menstruation menstrual
Mening meninges meningitis
Menisci meniscus (crescent) meniscus
Ment mind mental
Metr uterus metroptosis
Mon(o) one monoparesis
Morph(o) form; shape morphology
Muc mucus mucosal
My muscle myasthenia
Myc fungus mycete
Myel bone marrow; spinal cord myeloma
Myelon bone marrow; spinal cord myelonic
Myos muscle myostroma
N
Narc stupor narcotic
Nas nose nasal
Nat birth prenatal
Necr death (cells; body) necrosis
Nephr kidney nephritis
Neur nerve neuropathy
Noct night nocturnal
Nyct night nycterine
Nyctal night nyctalopia
O
Ocul eye ocular
Olig scanty; few oliguria
Omphal umbilicu; navel omphaloma
Onc tumor oncology
Onych nail onychogenic
Oo egg; ovum oocyte
Oophor ovary oophorectomy
Ophthalm eye ophthalmology
Opt vision optical
Or mouth oral
Orch testis; testicle orchilytic
Orchi testis; testicle orchiectomy
Orchid testis; testicle orchidoncus
Organ organ organic
Orth straight orthodontist
Oste bone osteoporosis
Ot ear otitis
Ov egg ovum
Ox oxygen oxidation
P
Pachy thick pachycephalic
Palat palate palatoplegia
Pancreat pancreas pancreatic
Papill nipple papillary
Par bear; give birth to; labor para
Parathyroid parathyroid gland parathyroidoma
Part bear; give birth to; labor postpartum
Patell patella (kneecap) patellectomy
Path disease pathology
Pector chest pectoralgia
Ped child; foot pediatrics/pedal
Pelv pelvis; pelvic bone pelvic
Perine perineum perineum
Peritone peritoneum peritoneal
Petr stone petrous
Phac lens of the eye phacolysis
Phag eat; swallow dysphagia
Phak lens of the eye phakomatosis
Phalang(o) pharynx phalangeal
Phas speech aphasia
Phleb(o) vein phlebitis
Phot light photokinetic
Phren mind phrenology
Physi nature physiology
Plasm plasma plasmacyte
Pleur pleura pleuracentesis
Pneum(o) lung; air pneumogastric
Pneumat lung; air pneumathemia
Pneumon lung; air pneumonia
Pod foot podiatry
Poikil(o) varied; irregular poikiloblast
Poli(o) gray matter polioclastic
Polyp polyp; small growth polypathia
Poster back (of body) posterior
Prim first primary
Proct rectum proctology
Prostat prostate gland prostatitis
Pseud fake; false pseudopolyp
Psych mind psychiatry
Pub pubis pubic
Puerper childbirth puerperal
Pulmon lung pulmonary
Pupil pupil pupil
Py pus empyema
Pyel renal pelvis pyelogram
Pylor pylorus (pyloric sphincter) pylorostomy
Pyr fever; heat pyrogenic
Q
Quadr four quadruplets
R

Rachi(o) vertebra; spinal or vertebral column rachiocentesis

Radi radius (lower arm bone) radius
Radic nerve root radiculopathy
Radicul nerve root radicular
Rect(o) rectum rectocele
Ren kidney renal
Retin retina retinosis
Rhabd rodshaped, striated rhabditis
Rhin(o) nose rhinitis
Rhiz(o) nerve root rhizoneure
Rhytid wrinkles rhytidoplasty
S
Salping(o) fallopian (uterine) tube salpingitis
Sarc(o) flesh; connective tissue sarcocele
Scapula scapula (shoulder bone) scapular
Sclera sclera sclerectomy
Scoli crooked, curved scoliosis
Seb sebum (oil) sebaceous
Sept(o) septum (dividing wall; partition) septum
Sial saliva salivary
Sigmoid sigmoid sigmoidoscopy
Sinus sinus sinusitis
Somat(o) body somatometry
Somn sleep insomnia
Son sound sonogram
Sperm spermatozoan; sperm spermiduct
Spermat spermatozoan; sperm spermatorrhea
Sphygm pulse sphygmomenometer
Spir breathe; breathing transpiration
Spleen spleen spleen

Spondyl(o) vertebra; spinal or vertebral column spondylosis

Staped stapes (middle ear bone) stapedial
Staphyl(o) grapelike clusters staphylococcus
Stern sternum (breastbone) sternal
Steth chest stethoscope
Stomat(o) mouth stomatoplasty
Strept(o) twisted chains streptococcus
Synovi synovia; synovial membrane synovial
System system systemic
T
Tars tarsals (ankle bones) metatarsal
Tars(o) edge of eyelid; tarsal (instep of foot) tarsitis
Ten tendon tendon
Tend tendon tendotomy
Tendin tendon tendinitis
Test testis; testicle testicular
Therm(o) heat thermal
Thorac thorax (chest) thoracic
Thromb(o) clot thrombus
Thym(o) thymus gland thymolysis
Thyr thyroid gland thyroid
Thyroid thyroid gland thyroiditis
Tibi tibia (lower leg bone) tibial
Tom(o) cut; section tomography
Ton tension, pressure tonicity
Tonsil tonsils tonsillitis
Top(o) place topographic
Toxic poison toxic
Trache(o) trachea tracheobronchial
Trachel(o) neck; necklike trachelitis
Trich hair trichoid
Tympan eardrum; middle ear tympanic membrane
U
Uln ulna (lower arm bone) ulnar
Ungu nail ungual
Ur urine; urinary tract urinary
Ureter(o) ureter ureteroplasy
Urethr urethra urethrectomy
Urin urine; urinary tract urinalysis
Uter uterus intrauterine
Uvul uvula uvuloptosis
V
Vagin vagina vaginal
Valv valve valvula
Valvul valve valvuloplasty
Vas(o) vessel; duct vasectomy
Ven vein venous
Ventricul ventricle ventricular
Vertebr(o) vertebra; (spinal column) costovertebral
Vesic(o) bladder; sac vesical
Vesicul(o) seminal vesicles vesiculation
Viscer(o) internal organs viscera
Vulv vulva vulvitis
X
Xanth yellow xanthoma
Xer(o) dry xerosis