These contain the basic meaning of the term. They usually indicate the involved body part
Word roots
These usually indicate the procedure, condition, disorder, or disease. They always come at the end of the word.
Suffix
These usually indicate location, time, number, or status. They always come at the beginning of the word
Prefix
When is a combing vowel used?
When the suffix begins with a consonant
When is a combing vowel not used?
When the suffix begins with a vowel
When is a combining vowel ALWAYS used?
When two or more roots are joined
What does not require a combing vowel?
A prefix
Abdomen/o
Abdomen
Aden/o
Gland
Append/o
Appendix
Arter/o
Artery
Cost/o
Rib
Eti/o
Cause
Function/o
Perform, function
Gastr/o
Stomach, belly
Hem/o
Blood
Laryng/o
Larynx, throat
Nat/i
Birth
Neur/o
Nerve
Norm/o
Normal or usual
Oste/o
Bone
Ot/o
Hearing, ear
Path/o
Disease, suffering, feeling
Rhin/o
Nose
Tonsil/o
Tonsil
-uria
Urine
Ven/o
Vein
Lith/o
Stone
Tens/o
Tension, stretched out
-ac, -al, -ar, -ary, -eal, -ical, -ial, -ic
Pertaining to
-ago, -esis, -ia, -iasis, -osis
Abnormal condition
-algia
Pain, painful
-centesis
Surgical puncture
-dynia
Pain
-ectomy
Surgical removal
-ine, -ior, -ory, -ous, -tic
Pertaining to
-ion, -ism
Condition
-itis
Inflammation
-malacia
Abnormal softening
-ology
Study of
-plasty
Surgical repair
-rrhage, -rrhagia
Bleeding, excessive discharge
-sclerosis
Abnormal hardening
-stenosis
Abnormal narrowing
-tion
Process, state, quality of
Supra-
Above, upper, excessive
Sub-
Under, less, below
Pre-
Before, in front of
Post-
After, behind
Intra-
Within, inside
Inter-
Between, among
Infra-
Below, beneath, inferior to
Hypo-
Under, below
Hyper-
Over, above
Endo-
In, within, inside
E-, ex-
Out of, from, outside, away from
Dys-
Bad, difficult, painful
Ad-
Toward, to, in direction of
Ab-
Away from, negative, absent
A-
No, not without, away from, negative
@
At
A & P
Anatomy and physiology
a.c.
Before meals
AD
Right ear
ADL
Activities of daily living
ad lib
As designed
Alt dieb
Alternate days, every other day
Am
Morning
Amb
Ambulate, ambulatory
Ant
Anterior
AS
Left ear
ASA
Aspirin
as tol
As tolerated
AU
Both ears
bl
Blood
Bl wk
Blood work
BR
Bed rest
BRP
Bathroom privileges
c
With
C/o
Complain of
CC
Chief complaint
Cl liq
Clear liquid
CXR
Chest X-Ray film
DC
Discontinue
DAT
Diet as tolerated
DNR
Do not resuscitate
Exam
Examination
FF
Force fluids
Hr(h)
Hour
Hx
History
IM
Intramuscular; infectious mononucleosis
LOC
Level of consciousness
neg
Negative
NPO
Nothing by mouth
P
Pulse
Palp
Palpation
pc
After meals
po
By mouth
Post
Posterior
pp
After eating
pt
Patient
q
Every
q2h
Every 2 hours
qd
Every day
qh
Every hour
qid
Four times a day
Temp (T)
Temperature
tid
There times a day
Tol
Tolerated
V/S
Vital signs
y/o
Years old