Medical Terminology Quiz

Medical Terminology Prefixes and Suffixes

• -able: Capable, treatable, curable
• A-: Not, without, lacking, away from, negative.
• Ab-: Away from, departing from.
• -ac: Pertaining to.
• Acanth/o: Spiny, thorny.
• -acquir/o: Get, obtain.
• acr/o: Extremities (hands and feet), top, extreme point.
• acromi/o: Acromion, point of the shoulder blade.
• actin/o: Light.
• acu/o: Sharp, severe, sudden.
• -acusis: Hearing
• -agra: Excessive pain, seizure, attack of severe pain.
• ag/or/a: Marketplace.
• -ago: Abnormal condition, or disease.
• agglutin/o: adhere or clump
• -al: Pertaining to
• Alb(i)/o, alb/o: White.
• -algia: Pain
• -algesia: Pain
• -algia: Pain
• -al: relating to
• -amia: Condition of the blood
• ambul/o: Walking
• amni/o: Amnion.
• amyl/o: Starch.
• -ant: Doing, having.
• -a, -ae: Plural suffix for nouns.
• -a, -ae, -e, -i, -um, -us, -y: Plural suffix for nouns,
• angi/o: Vessel
• an/o, -anus: Anus
• an/o: Anus, rectum
• -ant: pertaining to
• antr-,alveol-, cavity,
• -ant: Doing, having
• ante-: Before
• an/o: Anus, rectum
• andr/o: Male
• -anthrop/o, -anthro/o: man, mankind, human race
• -ant/o: Relating to.
• -apheresis: Removal
• apo-: Separation from.
• aphth/o: Ulcer
• apic/o: Apex
• aplast/o: Defective development, lack of development.
• apoplect/o: A stroke
• Append/o, appendic/o: Appendix
• -arche: Beginning
• arc/o: Beginning
• arachn/o: Spiderweb, spider
• areat/o: Occuring in patched or circumscribed areas.
• -ar: Pertaining to
• -aria: Connected with.
• arrect/o: Upright, lifted up, raised.
• -ar/o/i/y: relating to
• -art: inflammation of the joint
• -ase: enzyme
• -asthenia: weakness
• astr-: Star shaped.
• -aster: a little star
• -ate: To have a quality
• -athec/o: Membrane
• -at/o: A little spot or area

Medical Terminology Suffixes

• -cele: Swelling, hernia.
• -centesis: Surgical puncture.
• -ceps: Head, leader
• -centesis: Pertaining to a Surgical procedure.
• -chial: Relating to the Canal.
• -cide: Killing [suffix]
• -cilia: Eyelash
• -cine: Movement
• circulat/o: Circle shape
• cirrh/o: Orange-yellow (Gr. kirrhos)
• cis/o: Cut
• -clasia, -clasis: Break
• clavicul/o: Clavicle (collarbone)
• -cle: Small
• cleid/o: Clavicle (collarbone)
• coll/a: Neckline
• col/o: Colon
• colp/o: Vagina
• -com-: together, with
• -coma(t/o): Deep sleep
• -coni/o: Dust
• -consci/o: Aware.
• -contra-: Against.
• -cor(e)/o: Pupil
• -cord/o: Cord
• -corne/o: cornea
• corne/o: Cornea
• coron/o: Heart.
• cortic/o, -cortex: Cortex of an organ
• corp/or/o, -corpus: Body
• cort-: Covering
• cos/to: Rib
• -cosm/e/i: Universe
• -cosm/e/i a universe
• coxa/i: Hip
• crani/o: Skull
• -crine: Secreting
• crin/o: Secrete
• -crisis: Crisis, turning point, a critical stage
• -crit: separate
• -croc: (Gr. kritos) separation
• crur/o: shin, leg
• cry/o: Cold.
• crypt/o: Hidden
• cubit/o: Elbow
• culd/o: Cul-de-sac
• cult/o: Cultivate, farming.
• -cusis: Hearing
• cusp/i: skin
• cutane/o: skin
• cycl/o: Ciliary body
• -cyesis: Pregnancy.
• cyst/o: Bladder
• cyt/o: Cell

More Medical Terminology Words

• dactyl/o: Finger, toe
• dacry-, lacrim-: Tear
• dacryocyst/o: Lacrimal Sapace
• dacry/o: Tear (duct)
• de-: Away from, down
• d/e-: Away from, down, out, and from
• debrid/e: Open to a wound.
• decidu/o: Shedding, falling off.
• decubit/o: Lying down.
• defect/o, defectat/o: To free from waste
• deglutin/o: To swallow
• degenerat/o: Gradual impairment, diminished function.
• defer/o: To carry
• deca-: Ten
• deci-: One-tenth
• dem/o, dem/o: People, population
• dendr/o: Tree, branching
• dent(i/o): Tooth
• derm(a/o): Skin

• Note: This is a partial list, and many more prefixes, suffixes, and root words exist in medical terminology.*