COMMONLY USED PREFIXES & SUFFIXES IN NURSING

~PREFIXES~
This list is the only key used for the prefix quiz; spelling must be correct.

Prefix: Meaning: How it is used:

a: without amenorrhea
ab: from, away from or absent abduct
acro: extremity or top acromegaly
ad: toward or adherence or increase adduct
adeno: gland adenocarcinoma
amb, ambi: both or on both sides ambidexterous
angi, angio: blood vessel or lymph vessel angiography
ante: before antepartum
anti: against antibiotic
arteri, arterio: artery arteriogram
arthro: joint arthritis
baro: pressure or weight baroreceptor
bili: bile bilirubin
brachio: arm brachial
brady: slow bradycardia
bronch, bronchi: airway bronchitis
cardio: heart cardiovascular
cephal, cephalo: head cephalic
cervico: neck cervical
cholecysto: gallbladder cholecystectomy
circum: around circumcision
colp, colpo: vagina colposcopy
contra: against or opposite contraindicate
costo: rib costovertebral
cyst, cysto: bladder cystitis
derm, derma: skin dermabrasion
dorsi, dorso: back dorsogluteal
dys: abnormal or bad or difficult or painful dyspnea
ecto: outer or on the outside or without ectopic
entero: intestines enteritis
epi: upon or over or in addition to epidural
erythr, erythro: red erythrocyte
etio: cause etiology
ferro: iron ferrous sulfate
fibro: fibers or fibrous tissues fibrocystic
gastro: stomach gastric
glosso: tongue glossopharyngeal
gluco, glyco: sugar glycogenolysis
hemi: half hemiplegia
hemo, hema: blood hemophilia
hepat, hepato: liver hepatitis
histo: tissue histology
hystero: uterus hysterectomy
ileo: ileum ileostomy

Updated 9_13 NW
 ~PREFIXES continued~
This list is the only key used for the prefix quiz; spelling must be correct.

Prefix: Meaning: How it is used:

intra: within intramuscular
laparo: abdominal wall or flank laparoscopic
laryngo: larynx laryngospasm
latero: side lateral
leuk, leuko: white or related to white blood cell leukemia
myel, myelo: spinal cord or bone marrow myelogram
myo: muscle myocardium
nephro: kidney nephrology
neuro: nerve neuropathy
oculo: eye oculomotor
oligo: deficiency or diminished or few or small oliguria
ophthalmo: eye ophthalmoscope
orchi, orchid: testicle orchiectomy
ortho: straight or correct or in proper order orthopedic
osteo: bone osteoarthritis
oto: ear otitis media
pan: all or entire panhysterectomy
path: disease pathologist
ped, pedi, pedo: foot pediform
peri: around pericarditis
pharyngo: pharynx pharyngeal
phlebo: vein phlebitis
pneumo: air or lung pneumonia
poly: much or many polyuria
proct, procto: anus or rectum proctologist
pseudo: false pseudoaneurysm
psych: mind psychotherapy
pyelo: pelvis pyelogram
pyo: pus pyocyst
quadri: four quadriplegic
recto: rectum or straight rectal
ren, reno: kidney renal
rhino: nose rhinoplasty
sacro: sacrum sacroiliac
sclero: hard or relating to the sclera scleroderma
semi: half semi-Fowler’s
sero: serum sero-sanguinous
somat, somato: body somatization
supra: above or beyond or on top suprapubic
tachy fast tachycardia
thoraci, thoraco: chest or chest wall thoracotomy
thrombo: blood clot thrombosis
trans: across or over or through or beyond transmural
uro: urine urosepsis
utero: uterus uterine
vaso: blood vessel vasodilation
ventro: abdomen ventral

Updated 9_13 NW
 ~ SUFFIXES ~
This list is the only key used for the suffix quiz; spelling must be correct.

Suffix: Meaning: How it is used:

able: able to or capable of agreeable
al: pertaining to or characterized by perineal
algia: pain neuralgia
ase: enzyme lipase
cele: tumor or swelling or hernia cystocele
cide: causing death or destruction or killing fungicide
cle, cule: little corpuscle
ectomy: surgical removal of mastectomy
emesis: vomiting hematemesis
emia: blood or in the blood bacteremia
esis: action or condition or pathological state diuresis
esthesia: sensation paresthesias
genic: forming atherogenic
gram: a tracing or a mark myelogram
iasis: condition or pathological state psoriasis
ic: pertaining to or relating to medic
ism: condition or theory hypothyroidism
itis inflammation of appendicitis
ize: to treat by special method cauterize
lith: stone or calculus cholelithiasis
logy: science of or study of neurology
lysis: disintegration or setting free or reduction hemolysis
megaly: enlargement of a body part cardiomegaly
oma: tumor cardinoma
opia: vision myopia
ostomy: surgical opening colostomy
otomy: surgical incision tracheotomy
penia: deficiency or decrease from normal neutropenia
pexy: fixation or surgical fixation colpopexy
phobia: abnormal fear acrophobia
phylaxis: protection anaphylaxis
plasia: growth or cellular proliferation dysplasia
plasty: repair or reconstruction arthroplasty
plegia: paralysis hemiplegia
poiesis: production or formation erythropoiesis
rhea: to flow or excessive discharge diarrhea
rhage, rhagia: excessive bleeding or menorrhagia
excessive fluid discharge
rhaphy: suturing or stitching colporraphy
sclerosis: hardness or dryness atherosclerosis
scope: an instrument for viewing or otoscope
an instrument for examining
trophic, trophy: nourishment myotrophic
uria: urine or in the urine hematuria

Updated 9_13 NW