|
a-
|
no or without
Ex: (a)menorrhea
NOTE: a- before a consonant; an- before a vowel.
|
|
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an-
|
no or without
Ex: (an)echoic
NOTE: a- before a consonant; an- before a vowel.
|
|
|
ab-
|
away from
Ex: abduct
|
|
|
ad-
|
toward
Ex: adduct
adoral (toward the mouth)
|
|
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ante-
|
before
Ex: antenatal
antecubital (in front of the elbow)
|
|
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pre-
|
before
Ex: preoperative
|
|
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pro-
|
before
Ex: procaine (white crystalline powder used as a local anesthetic in medicine)
Ex: proleptic (recurring at decreasing intervals)
|
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anti-
|
against
Ex: antibiotic, antihypertensive
|
|
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contra-
|
against
Ex: contralateral
|
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bi-
|
two
Ex: bifid
Ex: bifurcated (divided into two branches)
|
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di-
|
two
Ex: dissect
|
|
|
brady-
|
slow
Ex: bradycardia, bradyarrhythmia
|
|
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de-
|
removing, down from, elimination
Ex: decomposition, demineralization, dehydration
|
|
|
dia-
|
through, between, across
Ex: dialysis
Ex: diascope (an instrument pressed against the skin to see through the skin)
Ex: diaphysis (the point of separation between the stalk and the branch)
|
|
|
dys-
|
difficult or abnormal
Ex: dysphagia
|
|
|
ecto-
|
without or outside (external/away from)
Ex: ectonuclear (outside the nucleus of a cell)
Ex: ectoplasm, ectoparasite
|
|
|
ex-
|
without or outside (external/away from)
Ex: excementosis (outgrowth of cementum on the root surface of a tooth)
Ex: exhale
|
|
|
exo-
|
without or outside (external/away from)
Ex: exophytic, exoskeleton
|
|
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en-
|
inside
Ex: encranial, encapsulated
|
|
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endo-
|
inside
Ex: endometriosis, endoscopy
|
|
|
em-
|
inside
Ex: emphysema
|
|
|
eso-
|
inside
Ex: esogastritis (inflammation of the mucous membrane of the stomach)
|
|
|
epi-
|
on or above
Ex: epicondyle
|
|
|
eu-
|
good or normal
Ex: euthyroid, euthanasia
|
|
|
hemi-
|
half or partly
Ex: hemilaminectomy, hemiparesis
|
|
|
semi-
|
half or partly
Ex: semicartilaginous (composed partly of cartilage)
|
|
|
hyper-
|
excessive, greater than normal
Ex: hypercholesterolemia
|
|
|
hypo-
|
beneath/below normal, under
Ex: hyponatremia
|
|
|
sub-
|
beneath/below normal, under
Ex: subcutaneous
|
|
|
in-
|
not
Ex: inability
|
|
|
infra-
|
beneath
Ex: infraorbital
|
|
|
inter-
|
between
Ex: intercondylar
|
|
|
intra-
|
within/inside of
Ex: intrauterine
|
|
|
macro-
|
large
Ex: macrosomia
Ex: macroadenous (large glands)
|
|
|
mal-
|
bad
Ex: malalignment
|
|
|
meso-
|
middle/moderate
Ex: mesothelial
|
|
|
micro-
|
small
Ex: microhematuria
|
|
|
multi-
|
many/excessive
Ex: multinodular
|
|
|
poly-
|
many/excessive
Ex: polyhydramnios
|
|
|
mono-
|
one
Ex: monochorionic
|
|
|
uni-
|
one
Ex: unilateral
|
|
|
nulli-
|
none
Ex: nulliparous
|
|
|
para-
|
near, beside, resembling, abnormal
Ex: parahepatic
|
Is the structure long or tubular? Is it parallel to something next to it? |
|
per-
|
through, by, or completely
Ex: percutaneous
|
|
|
peri-
|
around/near
Ex: periventricular
|
Is the structure more rounded or compact? |
|
post-
|
after, behind
Ex: postoperative
|
|
|
primi-
|
first
Ex: primigravida
|
|
|
re-
|
back, again
Ex: redo
|
|
|
retro-
|
behind, backward
Ex: retroareolar
|
|
|
super-
|
more than normal, excessive
Ex: superinfection
|
|
