Common Prefixes

Question 1

a-

Answer 1

without

aphasia (without speech)

Question 2

an-

Answer 2

without

anoxia (without oxygen)

Question 3

anti-

Answer 3

against

antibiotic (against life)

Question 4

auto-

Answer 4

self

autograft (a graft from one’s own body)

Question 5

brady-

Answer 5

slow

bradycardia (slow heartbeat)

Question 6

de-

Answer 6

without

depigmentation (without pigment)

Question 7

dys-

Answer 7

painful; difficult; abnormal

dysuria (painful urination)
dyspnea (difficulty breathing)
dystrophy (abnormal development)

Question 8

endo-

Answer 8

within; inner

endoscope (instrument to view within)
endocardium (inner lining of heart)

Question 9

epi-

Answer 9

above

epigastric (above the stomach)

Question 10

eu-

Answer 10

normal

eupnea (normal breathing)

Question 11

ex-

Answer 11

outward

exostosis (condition of outward, or projecting bone)

Question 12

extra-

Answer 12

outside of

extracorporeal (outside of the body)

Question 13

hetero-

Answer 13

different

heterograft (graft [like a skin graft] from another species)

Question 14

homo-

Answer 14

same

homograft (graft [like a skin graft] from the same species)

Question 15

hyper-

Answer 15

excessive

hypertrophy (excessive development)

Question 16

hypo-

Answer 16

below; insufficient

hypodermic (below the skin)
hypoglycemia (insufficent blood sugar)

Question 17

in-

Answer 17

not; inward

infertility (not fertile)
inhalation (to breathe in)

Question 18

inter-

Answer 18

between

intervertebral (between the vertebrae)

Question 19

intra-

Answer 19

within

intravenous (within a vein)

Question 20

macro-

Answer 20

large

macrotia (having large ears)

Question 21

micro-

Answer 21

small

microtia (having small ears)

Question 22

neo-

Answer 22

new

neonatology (study of the newborn)

Question 23

para-

Answer 23

beside; abnormal; two like parts of a pair

paranasal (beside the nose)
paresthesia (abnormal sensation)
paraplegia (paralysis of two like parts of a pair [the legs])

Question 24

per-

Answer 24

through

percutaneous (through the skin)

Question 25

peri-

Answer 25

around pericardial (around the heart)

Question 26

post-

Answer 26

after postpartum (after birth)

Question 27

pre-

Answer 27

before preoperative (before a surgical operation)

Question 28

pro-

Answer 28

before prolactin (before milk)

Question 29

pseudo-

Answer 29

false pseudocyesis (false pregnancy)

Question 30

re-

Answer 30

again reinfection (to infect again)

Question 31

retro-

Answer 31

backward; behind retrograde (to move backward) retroperitoneal (behind the peritoneum)

Question 32

sub-

Answer 32

under subcutaneous (under the skin)

Question 33

tachy-

Answer 33

fast tachycardia (fast heartbeat)

Question 34

trans-

Answer 34

across transurethral (across the urethra)

Question 35

ultra-

Answer 35

beyond ultrasound (beyond sound [high-frequency sound waves])

Question 36

un-

Answer 36

not unconscious (not conscious)