Body Idioms List with Meanings and Examples PDF

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This document is a list of idioms with their meanings and examples. It's intended for language learners.

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Body Idioms List with Meanings and Examples Idiom / Phrase Meaning Example Sentence Vodka is his achilles' heel. He only loses his composure when achilles' heel someone's weakness he drin...

Body Idioms List with Meanings and Examples Idiom / Phrase Meaning Example Sentence Vodka is his achilles' heel. He only loses his composure when achilles' heel someone's weakness he drinks it. worsen an unfavorable She added insult to injury by picking her little brother's ice add insult to injury situation cream off the dirty floor and sticking it in his mouth. all ears listen carefully Jane asked if I was paying attention. I told her, "I'm all ears!" all thumbs clumsy I'm all thumbs today. I keep dropping my phone! an arm and a leg very expensive That new car costs an arm and a leg. apple of my eye an adored person My precious daughter is the apple of my eye. Before the final exam, the teacher told his students to break break a leg good luck a leg. bust my chops say something insulting She always busts my chops about my low salary. I finished the test by the skin of my teeth just before the bell by the skin of my teeth barely or narrowly rang. cold feet being nervous or anxious before a big event She got cold feet before the wedding. cry your heart out cry a lot He cried his heart out when his dog died. face the music deal with unpleasant The man confessed to the crime and faced the music in consequences prison. flesh and blood family I can't fire my brother. He's my own flesh and blood. freeze your buns off be very cold You will freeze your buns off in Antarctica. get a head start start before others Don always gets a head start and wakes up at dawn. get something off my reveal or confess I felt better getting it off my chest by confessing that I stole chest something the money. She gave him a cold shoulder when he asked for her phone give a cold shoulder to deny or ignore number. Visit ​ESLexpat.com​ for more free resources for English language learners. (CC) (BY)​ ​ESL Expat Page 1 give a hand or lend a help someone hand Can you give me a hand with lifting this laundry machine? have eyes in the back of You must have eyes in the back of your head. You always your head perceptive know what your boyfriend is doing when he's away. have your head in the to be unaware or You always have your head in the clouds. Do you have any clouds oblivious idea what's happening? head over heels to be deeply in love Sarah was head over heels for her new boyfriend. in over your head trying something that is much too difficult for You're in over your head. You can't beat the computer at one's ability chess. keep an eye on watch carefully or take care of Please keep an eye on the kettle. It will boil soon. keep your chin up stay positive Keep your chin up. You will win the next game. keep my head above have barely enough After my company went bankrupt, it was difficult to keep my water money to live head above water. keep your lips sealed promise to keep a secret You must keep your lips sealed about your affair. know by heart memorize Steve knows all of the computer code by heart. let your hair down relax and have fun You should let your hair down on Saturday night and go dancing. make my blood boil make very angry Donald makes my blood boil when he talks. neck of the woods nearby location The restaurant is in my neck of the woods. old hand experienced person Peter is an old hand when analyzing the stock market. over my dead body to do anything to prevent something from My son wanted to get a face tattoo, but I told him over my happening dead body. pat on the back give recognition You deserve a pat on the back for fixing the furnace. play something by ear let things occur without a rigid plan Let's play it by ear and see what happens tonight. pull your leg tease or joke around I'm just pulling your leg. Don't take it too seriously. rule of thumb general rule As a rule of thumb, you should get 8 hours of sleep per night. Visit ​ESLexpat.com​ for more free resources for English language learners. (CC) (BY)​ ​ESL Expat Page 2 see eye to eye agree My wife and eye don't see eye to eye. We're getting a divorce. stick your neck out help someone despite possible consequences for oneself You should stick your neck out for your teammate. sweet tooth love sweet things Suzie has a sweet tooth. She always eats ice cream after dinner. thick in the head stupid or foolish Tommy is so thick in the head. He keeps licking the wall. not meaning what one is When I said to fly to Hawaii, I was speaking tongue in cheek. tongue in cheek saying I didn't actually think you would book a ticket! Mick said the girl was under his thumb. She was the under my thumb under my control sweetest pet in the world. wash my hands of stop dealing with a I'm washing my hands of his troubled past and moving on something problem with life. water off a duck's back a harmful remark that has no effect on She insulted me but I didn't care. It was like water off a someone duck's back. Visit ​ESLexpat.com​ for more free resources for English language learners. (CC) (BY)​ ​ESL Expat Page 3 The Human Body Human Body One of the first things you need to know when working in English is the parts of the body. You will need to learn the names of the internal and external body parts. Here are the basics to get you started. The human body has three main parts namely: the head, the trunk and the limbs. Note: Limb means arm (upper limb) or leg (lower limb). The trunk is the body excluding the head and limbs. MEDICAL TERMINOLOGY 1. Head Inside the head is the brain, which is responsible for thinking. The top of a person's scalp is covered with hair. Beneath the hairline at the front of the face is the forehead. Underneath the forehead are the eyes for seeing, the nose for smelling, and the mouth for eating. On the outside of the mouth are the lips, and on the inside of the mouth are the teeth for biting and the tongue for tasting. Food is swallowed down the throat. At the sides of the face are the cheeks and at the sides of the head are the ears for hearing. At the bottom of a person's face is the chin. The jaw is located on the inside of the cheeks and chin. The neck is what attaches the head to the upper body. 1 MEDICAL TERMINOLOGY 2. Trunk Most critical organs are housed within the trunk. In the upper chest, the heart and lungs are protected by the rib cage, and the abdomen contains the majority of organs responsible for digestion: the liver, the large and small intestines, the anus, the rectum, and the gallbladder. Finally, the pelvic region houses both the male and female reproductive organs. 3. Limbs The limbs are divided into upper and the lower limbs. The upper limbs are composed of the upper and lower arms, wrist, elbows and hands. The lower limbs are the legs composed of the thighs, knees, calves and feet. Upper Limbs (arms) The arms are attached to the shoulders. Beneath this area is called the armpit or underarm. The upper arms have the muscles known as triceps and biceps. The joint halfway down the arm is called the elbow. Between the elbow and the next joint, the wrist, is the forearm. Below the wrist is the hand with four fingers and one thumb. Beside the thumb is the index finger. Beside the index finger is the middle finger, followed by the ring finger and the little finger. At the ends of the fingers are fingernails. 2 MEDICAL TERMINOLOGY Lower Limbs (legs) The top of the leg is called the thigh, and the joint in the middle of the leg is the knee. The front of the lower leg is the shin and the back of the lower leg is the calf. The ankle connects the foot to the leg. Each foot has five toes. The smallest toe is often called the little toe while the large one is called the big toe. At the ends of the toes are toenails. How to Refer to Parts of the Body? When patients speak about their problem they often refer to a part of the body: hip. I'm having trouble with my shoulder. knee. The doctor often needs to ask about a part of the body: chest? the Do you get any pain in stomach? your back? Exercise: Complete: 1.Your tonsils can get swollen when you have a sore……… 2. The…………. is located in the middle of the arm. 3. My Dad's little ……………was lost in the accident. 4. The patient lost so much weight his...............were sunken in. 5. We'll put a cool cloth on your....................... to get your fever down. 6. Another word for belly button is................. 7. She may never walk again because her........... was so badly injured. 8. The...............on his knee was scraped off when he hit the road. 9.Your grandfather will be able to walk better after his........surgery. 3 MEDICAL TERMINOLOGY Anatomical Names Most external parts of the body have ordinary English names as well as anatomical names. Doctors normally use the English names, even when talking to each other. There are a few exceptions where doctors use the anatomical name; these are shown in brackets below. chest (thorax) stomach, tummy (abdomen) trunk (torso) jaw (mandible) armpit (axilla) navel (umbilicus) groin (inguinal region) knee (patella = kneecap shin) Bones Some common English names for bones English name Anatomical name Skull Cranium Jaw bone Mandible Spine Vertebral column Breastbone Sternum Rib Costa Hip Coxa Collarbone Clavicle Shoulder blade Scapula Thigh bone Femur Kneecap Patella Shinbone Tibia Wrist Carpus Breast Mamma 4 MEDICAL TERMINOLOGY Exercise 1: Exercise 2: 5 MEDICAL TERMINOLOGY Exercise 3: Write the ordinary English words for the corresponding anatomical terms in the table using your medical knowledge. Anatomical term Common word abdomen axilla carpus coxa costa umbilicus thorax femur Exercise 4: Complete the table with words from the box. The first one has been done for you. abdomen elbow toe wrist thigh knee chest arm leg finger Trunk Upper limb Lower limb Abdomen 6 1. Goniometer  Function: Measures the range of motion (ROM) at a joint. Physical therapy students use this tool to assess flexibility, joint health, and progress in rehabilitation.  Use: Commonly used for evaluating knee, elbow, shoulder, wrist, and other joint movements. 2. Resistance Band  Function: These are used for strength training, stretching, and rehabilitation exercises. They provide variable resistance to different movements.  Use: Essential for rehabilitation of injuries and for strengthening specific muscle groups.  Available in different resistance levels (light, medium, heavy). 3. Exercise Mat  Function: Provides cushioning and stability for floor-based exercises. It is used during stretching, core strengthening, and mobility exercises.  Use: Protects both the student and the patient during floor exercises and promotes safety and comfort. 4. Theraballs (Stability Balls)  Function: Used for core exercises, balance training, and rehabilitation. These balls are excellent for improving posture and stability.  Use: Common for exercises targeting the abdominal muscles, back, and for balance training. 5. Foam Roller  Function: Helps with myofascial release, improving muscle flexibility, and reducing muscle soreness. It can also be used for balance exercises.  Use: Often used by students for self-massage or as part of a rehabilitation alleviate muscle tightness. 6. Kinesiology Tape  Function: Used for therapeutic taping techniques to support muscles and joints, alleviate pain, and reduce swelling without restricting movement.  Use: Applied over muscles or joints in various patterns to treat injuries like sprains or strains, or to improve posture and alignment. 7. Stethoscope  Function: Used to listen to heartbeats, lung sounds, and other bodily sounds. It’s a fundamental tool for physical therapists in clinical settings, especially for assessing cardiovascular health.  Use: Essential during patient assessments, especially in cardiovascular or respiratory-focused rehabilitation. 8. Cervical Collar  Function: Provides stabilization and support to the neck after an injury. It is often used for patients with suspected cervical spine injuries.  Use: Applied to immobilize the neck and prevent further injury during evaluation and treatment. 9. Thermal Packs (Hot/Cold Packs)  Function: Used for applying heat or cold therapy to reduce inflammation or promote blood flow and muscle relaxation.  Use: Cold packs for acute injury management (reduce swelling) and heat packs for muscle relaxation or chronic pain relief. 10. Balance Pad  Function: A soft, cushioned pad used to challenge a patient’s balance and proprioception. It's commonly used for rehabilitation after lower limb injuries or surgeries.  Use: Students use balance pads to train patients in postural control, ankle stability, and balance exercises. 11. Soft Tissue Mobilization Tools (Massage Tools)  Function: Tools like massage balls, therapeutic rollers, and spoons used for soft tissue manipulation to reduce muscle tightness and pain.  Use: Used in techniques such as myofascial release and deep tissue massage to improve blood flow and relieve tension in muscles.  Additional Information: These are used in conjunction with manual therapy methods, especially for muscle rehabilitation. 12. Muscle Stimulator  Function: A device that uses electrical impulses to stimulate muscle contractions.  Use: Used in rehabilitation for muscle re-education, especially after surgery or injury to prevent atrophy. 13. Cupping Therapy Equipment  Function: Involves the use of cups (usually made of glass, silicone, or plastic) to create suction on the skin, improving blood flow and reducing pain.  Use: Often used in conjunction with myofascial release to improve circulation and reduce pain in tight muscles. 14. Therapeutic Ultrasound Machine  Function: Uses high-frequency sound waves to penetrate deep tissues, promoting healing by increasing blood flow, reducing pain, and improving tissue flexibility.  Use: Commonly used for soft tissue injuries, joint pain, and muscle strains. Type of Technique Abbreviation Full Form Primary Use Radiation Example Imaging Bone fractures, Chest X-ray Chest imaging, 2D X-ray to detect X-ray X-ray Radiography Yes Dental X-rays, images pneumonia Chest infections or fractures Brain injuries, Tumors, Stroke, CT scan of Cancer, Internal Cross- the head to Computed CT Scan CT organs, Detailed sectional 3D Yes assess brain Tomography bone and soft images hemorrhages tissue or stroke imaging Pregnancy, Abdominal Abdominal conditions (e.g., ultrasound to Real-time liver, kidneys), assess liver Ultrasound Ultrasound Sonography sound wave No Cardiac exams or imaging (echocardiogram), gallbladder Soft tissue stones assessments Direct Colonoscopy visualization of for Direct internal organs colorectal Endoscope, visualization Endoscopy Endoscope (GI tract, lungs, No cancer Microscope (camera and urinary system), screening or light) Biopsy, Diagnosis GI of disease investigation Type of Technique Abbreviation Full Form Primary Use Radiation Example Imaging ECG to Heart rhythm, detect Detect arrhythmias arrhythmias, Electrical like atrial ECG ECG Electrocardiogram Monitor heart signals from No fibrillation function in the heart or post- various cardiac myocardial conditions infarction MRI of the Brain and spinal High- brain to cord, Soft tissues resolution MRI detect Magnetic (e.g., muscles, images tumors, MRI Resonance joints), using No Scans the multiple Imaging Musculoskeletal magnetic whole body sclerosis, or injuries, Cancer fields and brain detection radio waves injuries 1. Burning Pain vs. Scalding Pain Similarities: Both pain types involve heat and give a sensation of something being too hot or causing burning. Differences: o Burning Pain: Usually refers to a hot or fire-like sensation that is felt either internally (e.g., nerve pain in diabetic neuropathy) or externally (e.g., sunburn). o Scalding Pain: Typically involves external exposure to hot liquids or steam, and feels like the skin or tissue has been burned by a hot substance (e.g., spilling hot water, steam burn). Tip: Burning pain can be caused by internal factors (nerve issues), whereas scalding pain results from external heat sources like burns from hot liquid or steam. 2. Crampy Pain vs. Colicky Pain Similarities: Both involve muscle spasms or internal organ spasms, and the pain tends to come in waves. Differences: o Crampy Pain: Typically feels like your muscles are contracting tightly, often causing sharp and intense pain. It can occur in muscles like during menstrual cramps or after exercise (e.g., leg cramps). o Colicky Pain: Usually refers to pain from organs, particularly the abdomen. It comes in waves and is associated with spasms or obstruction in hollow organs like the intestines or kidneys (e.g., bowel obstruction, kidney stones). Tip: If it’s in the muscles, it’s crampy pain. If it’s in internal organs (especially the stomach, intestines, or kidneys), it’s colicky. 3. Crushing Pain vs. Gripping Pain Similarities: Both involve a tight sensation, as if something is squeezing or pressing down on the body. Differences: o Crushing Pain: Feels like external pressure, such as something heavy is being placed on your chest. It’s often associated with heart attacks (e.g., tight chest pain). o Gripping Pain: Involves a tight, squeezing sensation but feels more like something is squeezing around your organs. It’s often seen in conditions like gallbladder issues or labor pain during childbirth. Tip: Crushing pain feels like pressure from the outside (like weight), while gripping pain feels like your internal organs are being squeezed. Crushing Pain is like external pressure on your chest (e.g., heart attack, trauma). Gripping Pain feels like your organs are being squeezed (e.g., gallstones, labor pain). Example: After eating a big, fatty meal, you might feel a tight, squeezing pain right under your ribs on the right side of your belly. It can feel like something is squeezing your stomach from the inside. Example: A woman in labor feels her belly tighten like something is squeezing it really hard. The pain comes and goes in waves as the baby moves down the birth canal. 4. Stabbing Pain vs. Stinging Pain Similarities: Both are sharp, intense, and can be sudden. Differences: o Stabbing Pain: Very sharp and often feels like something is piercing or stabbing through the body. It is typically localized and sudden. o Stinging Pain: Similar to stabbing pain but generally described as feeling like a prick or sting, like being stung by an insect or a minor burn (e.g., insect sting, superficial burn). Stabbing pain is deep and feels like a piercing. Stinging pain is sharp but stays on the surface of your skin, like a prick (little hole) or small burn. Stabbing Pain Description: o Stabbing pain is typically sharp, sudden, and intense, like something is piercing or jabbing into the body. o It can often feel localized to a specific area and can come in quick, intense bursts, followed by periods of relief. Examples Headache from Trigeminal Neuralgia: You experience sudden, sharp, stabbing pain in your face Chest Pain from Costochondritis: A sharp, stabbing pain in your chest when you cough or press on your chest, caused by inflammation in the cartilage between your ribs. Characteristics: o Intensity: Very intense, often described as "piercing" or "like a knife" in the body. o Duration: Usually short-lived, but can be recurrent. o Trigger: Often triggered by movement, pressure, or even sudden body positions. Stinging Pain Description: o Stinging pain feels like a sharp, burning or tingling sensation, often described as being caused by a sharp object like a bee sting or a burn. o It can feel more like a superficial irritation, but may also be felt deeply, depending on the cause. Examples Minor Cut or Scratch: When you get a small paper cut or scratch, you feel a stinging sensation that is sharp but usually mild and temporary. Insect Sting (e.g., Bee Sting): After being stung by a bee, you feel a sharp, burning, stinging pain where the sting occurred, often followed by swelling and redness. A tongue sore (like a canker sore, irritation, or injury to the tongue Characteristics: o Intensity: Less intense than stabbing pain, but still can be irritating or uncomfortable. o Duration: Can last longer than stabbing pain and may persist in a dull form. o Trigger: Often caused by skin irritation, inflammation, or nerve issues. Key Differences: Duration: o Stabbing pain tends to be brief, but intense, and comes in short bursts. o Stinging pain can be persistent or last longer, with a burning or prickling sensation. Area Affected: o Stabbing pain is often more localized to one specific point or small area. o Stinging pain can be felt across a larger area, especially if it's caused by a skin or nerve issue. 5. Dull Pain vs. Gnawing Pain Similarities: Both are persistent and relatively mild in nature, causing a continuous ache. Differences: o Dull Pain: Describes a mild, constant ache that’s generally not sharp or severe, NOT OVERWHELMING. It is often low-level and can be felt in areas like the back or muscles (e.g., chronic back pain, muscle strain). EXAMPLES Chronic Lower Back Pain: You feel a mild, constant ache in your lower back that doesn’t go away, often made worse by standing or sitting for a long time. Muscle Soreness After Exercise: After a workout, you experience a dull ache in your thighs or arms that feels like your muscles are tired but not in sharp pain. o Gnawing Pain: Describes a deep, persistent ache, often with a sensation of something biting or chewing from inside, typically in the stomach or digestive organs (e.g., peptic ulcers, gastritis). EXAMPLES Hunger Pangs: When you're really hungry, you might feel a gnawing sensation in your stomach, almost like it's being squeezed or chewed from the inside. Peptic Ulcer: You feel a deep, constant gnawing pain in your stomach, especially when you’re hungry, which feels like something is biting or chewing inside your belly. Tip: Dull pain is a general mild ache that doesn’t feel intense, while gnawing pain feels deeper, like something is biting inside your body, often in the stomach. 6. Throbbing Pain vs. Boring Pain Similarities: Both are constant and steady, though they feel quite different. Differences: o Throbbing Pain: Describes a rhythmic, pulsing pain, often in sync with the heartbeat. It may get stronger and weaker over time (e.g., toothache, migraine). o Boring Pain: A deep, continuous ache that doesn’t pulse or fluctuate like throbbing pain. It is often a steady pain that feels like something is digging into the body, OVERWHELMING (e.g., bone cancer, osteoarthritis). Tip: If the pain pulses or feels like it’s in rhythm with your heartbeat, it’s throbbing. If it’s a deep, constant ache without any pulsing, it’s boring. Throbbing Pain Toothache: A sharp, throbbing pain in your tooth, often pulsing in sync with your heartbeat. It gets stronger and weaker, especially when you try to chew or touch the affected area. Migraine: You experience a throbbing headache, usually on one side of your head, that seems to pulse in rhythm with your heartbeat. The pain may increase in intensity, especially in bright light or noise. Boring Pain Bone Cancer: A deep, continuous ache in a bone, often described as a boring sensation. The pain is steady and does not pulse or fluctuate, but it can become overwhelming and persist for long periods. Herniated Disc: You feel a boring pain in your lower back or neck, like something is pressing down on your spine. The pain is deep and continuous, often getting worse with prolonged sitting or movement. b. Medical Terminology In this section you will be looking at how medical terminology is formed and at the most common terms you will need to learn. Medical terminology is basically Latin or Greek in origin and is made up of many smaller parts. Many English words have their origins in the Greek and Latin languages. Like any other vocabulary though you can get a long way by learning the basic terminology. The naming of organs, diseases and procedures can be easily understood if the component parts of the words are known. Below is a selection of prefixes, suffixes and the roots which go to make up medical terms. Remember: Prefixes are placed before the root; suffixes are added after. Term Meaning Example a- Without, lack of Aphasia (lack of speech) ab- Away from Abductor (leading away from) -able Capable Viable(capable of living) acou- Hearing Acoustics (science of sound) ad- To, toward, near to Adrenal (near the kidney) -algia Pain Neuralgia (pain in nerve) ana- Up, back, again Anatomy (a cutting up) angio- Vessel Angiography (radiography of blood vessels) arthr- Joint Arthritis (inflammation of a joint) -asis, - Condition, state of Homeostasis (state of staying the ism same) auto- Self Autolysis (self breakdown) bi-, di- Twice, double Diploid (two sets of chromosomes) bio- Live Biology (study of living) -blast- Bud, germ Fibroblast (fiber-producing cell) carcin- Cancer Carcinogenic (causing cancer) cardio- Heart Cardiopathy (heart disease) cephal- Head Cephalic (toward the head) cerebr Brain Cerebrospinal (referring to brain o- and spinal cord) chol- Bile Acholic (without bile) chondr- Cartilage Chondrocyte (cartilage cell) MEDICAL TERMINOLOGY Term Meaning Example -cide Kill Bactericide (agent that kills bacteria) co- , With, together Coenzyme (molecule that functions com-, with an enzyme) con- contra- Against, opposite Contralateral (opposite side) cysto- Bladder or sac Cystocele (hernia of a bladder) -cyte-, Cell Erythrocyte (red blood cell) cyto- de- Away from Dehydrate (remove water) dent- Tooth Dentist derm- Skin Dermatology (study of the skin) dia- Through, across Diapedesis (ooze through) -duct- Draw Abduct (lead away from) -dynia Pain Mastodynia (breast pain) dys- Difficult, bad Dysmentia (bad mind) -ectomy, Cut out, incise Appendectomy (cut out the -tomy appendix) -edem- Swell Myoedema (swelling of a muscle) -emia, Blood Anemia (deficiency of blood) hem- entero- Intestine Enteritis (inflammation of the intestine) epi- Upon, on Epidermis (on the skin) ex- Out, away from Exhalation (breathe out) extra- Outside Extracellular (outside the cell) gastro- Stomach Gastrodynia (stomach ache) -genesis Produce, origin Pathogenesis (origin of disease) gloss- Tongue Hypoglossal (under the tongue) glyco- Sugar, sweet Glycolysis (breakdown of sugar) -gram A drawing Myogram (drawing of a muscle contraction) -graph Instrument that Myograph (instrument for records measuring muscle contraction) hepato- Liver Hepatitis (inflammation of the liver) hist- Tissue Histology (study of tissues) homeo- Same Homeostasis (state of staying the same) 1 MEDICAL TERMINOLOGY Term Meaning Example hydro- Wet, water Hydrocephalus (fluid within the head) hyper- Over, above, excessive Hypertension (high blood pressure) hypo- Under, below, deficient Hypotension (low blood pressure) -iatr- Treat, cure Pediatrics (treatment of children) infra- Below Infrared intra- Within Intraocular (within the eye) -itis Inflammation Gastritis (inflammation of the stomach) kerato- Cornea or horny Keratinization (formation of a hard tissue tissue) -kin- Move Kinesiology (study of movement) leuko- White Leukocyte (white blood cell) -logy Study Histology (study of tissue) macro- Large Macrophage (large phagocytic cell) mal- Bad Malnutrition (bad nutrition) malaco- Soft Osteomalacia (soft bone) mast- Breast Mastectomy (excision of the breast) mega- Great Megacolon (large colon) melano- Black Melanocyte (black pigment producing skin cell) micro- Small Microorganism (small organism) mono- One, single Monosaccharide (one sugar) multi-, Many, much Multinucleated (two or more poly- nuclei) Myo- Muscle Myocardium (heart muscle) narco- Numbness Narcotic (drug producing stupor or weakness) nephro- Kidney Nephrectomy (removal of a kidney) neuro- Nerve Neuritis (inflammation of a nerve) oculo-, Eye Oculomotor (movement of the ophthalm- eye), ophthalmology odonto- Tooth or teeth Odontomy (cutting a tooth) -oma Tumor Carcinoma (cancerous tumor) osteo- Bone Osteocyte (bone cell) oto- Ear Otolith (ear stone) -pathy Disease Cardiopathy (disease of the heart) peri- Around Periosteum (around bone) 2 MEDICAL TERMINOLOGY Term Meaning Example -phag- Eat Dysphagia (difficult eating or swallowing) -phas- Speak Aphasia (unable to speak), Dysphasia -phobia Fear Hydrophobia (fear of water) -plas- Grow Neoplasm (new growth) -plegia Paralyze Paraplegia (paralysis of lower limbs) -pne- Breathe Apnea (lack of breathing) pod- Foot Podiatry (treatment of foot disorders) psycho- Mind, soul Psychosomatic (effect of the mind on the body) Pyo- Pus Pyoderma (pus in the skin) -rrhagia Pour Hemorrhage (bleed) sarco- Flesh or fleshy Sarcoma (connective tissue tumor) -scope Examine Endoscope (instrument for examining the inside of a hollow organ) somato- Body Somatotropin (hormone causing body growth) -stomy To make an artificial Tracheostomy (make an opening opening into the trachea) sub- Under Subcutaneous (under skin) super-, Above Supercilia (upper brows) supra- tachy- Fast, swift Tachycardia (rapid heart rate) therm- Heat Thermometer (device for measuring heat) tox- Poison Antitoxin (substance effective against poison) tri- Three Triceps (three-headed muscle) -troph- Nourish Hypertrophy (enlargement or overnourishment) -uria Urine Polyuria (excess urine) vene-, Vein Venesection (phlebotomy = phleb- incision into a vein) 3 MEDICAL TERMINOLOGY Most medical terms can be divided into one or more word parts. For simplicity you should know that there are four word parts, and any given medical term may contain one, some or all of them: 1. a word root 2. a prefix 3. a suffix 4. a linking or a combining vowel 1- Word Root Word roots, abundantly originated from Latin and Greek, are the stem or the main part of the medical term. Below are some very common medical word roots. Do you know what they mean? bi, erythr, haem, leuc, path, tox A medical term must have at least one root, but does not have to have a prefix and/or a suffix. 2- Prefix A prefix  comes before a root word and  changes its meaning. 3- Suffix A suffix  comes after a root word and  modifies its meaning. 4 MEDICAL TERMINOLOGY An example of a word with three of the above parts is the medical term Pericarditis. This term refers to the inflammation of the area surrounding the heart, or an inflammation of the outer layer of the heart, known as the pericardium. The term Pericarditis can be divided into three parts: peri - card - itis The prefix peri means surrounding. The root card means heart, and The suffix itis means inflammation. 4- The combining form of a word root Root words are very often preceded by a prefix, followed by a suffix and joined with a combining vowel. The most common combining vowel is ’o’, but other vowels such as’a’, ’e’ or ’i’ are also used. This makes the term easier to pronounce. e.g. palat + o = palato...... palatoglossal Combining vowels are often used between roots and suffixes or roots and other roots, but they are NOT used between prefixes and roots. Word root combining part suffix gingiv- e(c) -tomy Gingiv : meaning 'gum' -tomy: suffix meaning 'incision' (cut) into Gingivectomy = incision into the gum prefix root suffix epi gastr- ic epi: prefix meaning 'upon or above' gastr- : root meaning 'stomach' ic: suffix meaning 'related' 5 MEDICAL TERMINOLOGY To know how words are formed, you need to remember three golden rules while forming medical terminology. Three golden rules Rule 1: Joining a combining form to a suffix:  Always use ’o’ combining vowel until you find a suffix begining with a vowel, then drop it. gastr/o + logy = gastrology gastr/o + tomy = gastrotomy gastr/o + itis = gastritis gastr/o + ectomy = gastrectomy 1. Exercise on Rule 1: 1. When you join the term gastr/o with the suffix -pathy you get the term ------------- which means a --------------------- of the stomach. 2. When you join the term gastr/o with the suffix -scopy you get the term ------------- which means a visual examination of the ------------------. 3. When you join the term hepat/o with the suffix -itis you get the term --------------- which means an ------------------ of the liver. 4. When you join the term hepat/o with the suffix -megaly you get the term ---------- which means an enlargement of the liver. 5. When you join the term hepat/o with the suffix -oma you get the term -------------- which means a tumour/swelling of the -----------------. 6 MEDICAL TERMINOLOGY Rule 2: Joining two word roots  Some words contain two or more combining forms of words. In these cases, the combining form of the first word is left in place. trache/o + bronch/o + itis = tracheobronchitis 2. Exercise on Rules 1 & 2: Combine the following to make medical terms duoden/o + jejun/o + -stomy = trache/o + bronch/o + -itis = oste/o + arthr/o + -pathy = pylor/o + gastr/o + -ectomy = Rule 3: Joining a prefix to a root  If a prefix ends with a vowel and is added to a root that starts with a vowel or ’h’ – drop the vowel of the prefix. o anti + acid = antacid o NOTE this is only advisory there are many exceptions: periosteitis 3. Exercise on Rule 3: Combine the following to make medical terms Endo- + odont/o + -ic = Prostho- + odont/o + -ist = Mono- + ocul/o + -ar = Peri- + spleen/o + -itis = 7 MEDICAL TERMINOLOGY 4. General Exercise: Guess or provide the right meanings or terms 1. The combining form hepato means _______________. a. stomach b. kidney c. liver d. lung 2. The combining form pnoea in dyspnoea or tachypnoea means __________. a. eat b. sleep c. breath d. walk 3. The combining form for lung is ___________. a. pleuro b. pulmo c. bronchi d. throraco 4. The word pectoral refers to the ________. a. breast b. leg c. feet d. waist 5. The combining form for hard is _______. a. jejuno b. caeco c. sclero d. trachea 5. Fill in the blanks 1. The word element melano means --------------- 2. The word element osteo means ---------------. 3. The word element leuk/o means ---------------. 6. Complete the following table: S Term Meaning S Term Meaning 1 -duct- 24 urine 2 cell (red blood cell) 25 -troph- 3 pain 26 phobia 4 -blast- 27 ear 5 co- 28 many, much 6 muscle 29 air, gas, or lung 7 cardio- 30 small 8 expressing condition 31 nephro- 8 MEDICAL TERMINOLOGY 9 gloss- 32 -pathy 10 vene- 33 ortho- 11 hidden 34 joint 12 speak, utter 35 infra- 13 acou- 36 three 14 wet, water 37 supra- 15 pod- 38 -semi 16 -stomy 39 poison 17 pre- 40 di 18 eye/study of the eye 41 skin 19 -pne- 42 a- 20 epi- 43 exo- 21 hist- 44 stomach 22 difficult 45 osteo- 23 psycho- 46 heat 7. Multiple Choice: 1. The prefix ab means: (away from – near - toward – far) 2. The prefix dia means: (double – across – through – complete) 3. The prefix anti means: (before – against – across – complete) 4. The suffix -ist means: (condition - one who specializes – inflammation - pertaining to) 5. From which language did most of the terms for the body's organs originate? (Latin – Greek – French – English) 6. The Greek combining form metr/i means: (measure – multiple – uterus –ovary) 9 MEDICAL TERMINOLOGY 8. True or False 1. Medical terms are made up of only prefixes and suffixes. True False 2. The term prefix means to fix before or to fix to the beginning of a word. True False 3. A suffix will not alter or modify the meaning of the word or create a new word. True False 4. The prefix that means cancer is carcin-. True False 5. Ova is the plural form of ovum. True False 10

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