Wk 3 Common Prefixes

Common Prefixes (Medical & Health Care Terminology) Prefix bididipl(o)hex(a)mon(o)multipolyprim(i)quadr(i)tetratriuni-

Meaning having two points two, twice double six one many many, much first or foremost four four three one

Prefixes of Number, Quantity or Sequence Example Pronunciation* Brief Explanation bicuspid having two points or prongs bU-k\scpid di-amelia absence of two limbs dU-^-mTclT-^ diploid having two sets of chromosomes dipcloyd hexadactyly having foot or hand with six fingers or six toes hekcs^-dakcti-lT monocular pertaining to one eye mon-okcyu-l^r multipara woman who has given birth at least two times m\l-tipc^-r^ polypharmacy the administration of many drugs together pol-T-farcm^-sT primipara woman who has given birth for the first time prU-mipc^-r^ quadriplegia paralysis of all four limbs kwahcdri-plTcjT-^ tetraparesis muscular weakness affecting all four limbs tetcr^-p^-rTcsis trimester period of 3 months trUcmes-ter unicellular composed of one cell yu-nV-selcyu-l^r

Prefix chlor(o)cyan(o)erythr(o)leuk(o)melan(o)-

Meaning green blue red white black

Example chlorophyll cyanosis erythrocyte leukocyte melanosis

xanth(o)-

yellow

xanthoderma

William Tsang 2007

Prefixes of Color Pronunciation* Brief Explanation any of a group of light-absorbing green pigments klbrcb-fil bluish discoloration of the skin due to lack of oxygen sU-^-nbcsis red blood cell _-rithcrb-sUt white blood cell loockb-sUt condition of unusual deposits of black pigments in different mel-^-nbcsis parts of the body yellow coloration of the skin zan-thb-dercm^

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Prefix bradydolichoequieuheter(o)homo-, homeohyperhypoisoleptolip(o)-, macromega-, megalomicroneonormoolig(o)orthopanpoikilopseudoresemisupertachy-

Meaning slow long equal, same true, normal, easy different, other same, unchanging

Prefixes of Degree, Size or Comparison Example Pronunciation* Brief Explanation bradycardia slowness of the heartbeat brad-T-karcdT-^ dolichoprosopic dol-i-kb-pros-bcpik having a disproportionately long face equilibrium condition of being evenly balanced T-kwi-libcrT-\m euthanasia easy or painless death yu-th^-nQczT-^ heterosexual hetcer-b-sekscyu-^l person whose sexual orientation is towards the opposite sex homosexual person whose sexual orientation is towards the same sex hb-mb-sekscyu-^l

over, excessive, increased below, decreased, under equal, same

hypertension

hUcp_r-tencsh\n

high blood pressure

hypotension

hUcpb-tencsh\n

low blood pressure

isograft

Ucsb-graft

light, thin, frail fatty, lipid large, abnormally large large; abnormally large

leptosomatic lipocyte macrocyte megacystis

lepctb-sb-matcik lipcb-sUt makcrb-sUt megc^-sis-tis

graft (tissue or organ transplantation) between two genetically identical individuals having a slender, light, or thin body a fat-filled cell present in the liver extremely large red blood cell pathologically large bladder in children

small new normal few, scanty straight, correct, upright all varied, irregular false again, back partial above, in excess rapid

microscopic neonate normovolemia oligomenorrhea orthotopic

mU-krb-skopcik nTcb-nQt nbrcmb-vol-TcmT-^ olci-gb-men-b-rTc^ br-thb-topcik

extremely small; visible only through a microscope newborn infant normal blood volume a scanty menstrual flow in the normal or usual position

panacea poikilocyte pseudoreaction rebreathing semiconscious supernumerary tachycardia

pan-^-sTc^ poycki-lb-sUt soocdb-rT-akcsh\n rT-brTdhcing semcT-koncsh\s

remedy that cures all ill red blood cell of irregular shape a false reaction – one not due to specific causes in a given test inhalation of part or all of gases previously exhaled partially solid exceeding the normal number rapid beating of the heart

William Tsang 2007

soo-per-noocmer-Qr-T

takci-karcdT-^ 2

Prefix a-, anantidedisnonun-

Prefix abaddiapertrans-

Meaning without against from, remove apart, separate not not

Meaning from, away toward, near through through through

William Tsang 2007

Example asepsis antidote dehydration dissect non-toxic unconscious

Prefixes of Negation Pronunciation* Brief Explanation condition of being free of infectious organisms Q-sepcsis agent for counteracting a poison anctT-dbt the removal of water from the body or a tissue dT-hU-drQcsh\n separate tissues for anatomical study di-sektc not toxic non tokcsik having no awareness or response \n-koncsh\s

Example abneural adneural dialysis percutaneous transfusion

Prefixes of Direction Pronunciation* Brief Explanation away from the nerve or neural axis ab-noorc^l lying near a nerve ad-noorc^l separation by passage through a membrane dU-alci-sis through the skin p_r-kyu-tQcnT-\s introduction of blood into the bloodstream trans-fyuczh\n

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Prefix acroadambiamphianteanterocryptdextrodiaec-, ectoendoepiesoex(o)extrahemiinfrainterintraipsilaterolevomedi(o)mesoopisth(o)-

Meaning top, extremity, height near to, near, toward both, around, on all sides on both sides, both about before in front, the front hidden right across, through, between, completely on the outside, external inner, inside, within, inward upon, among within, inward outside, out, away, outside of half; one side below, beneath between within same, self to the side of left middle Middle, intermediate

Example acrophobia adrenal ambilateral

backward, behind, located behind

William Tsang 2007

Prefixes of Time, Position or Location Pronunciation* Meaning of Example morbid fear of heights ak-rb-fbcbT-^ near or upon the kidney ^-drTcn^l relating to both sides am-bi-latcer-^l

amphicentric

am-fi-senctrik

beginning and ending in the same vessel

antemortem anteroinferior cryptogenic dextropedal diarrhea

ancte-mbr-tem ancter-b-in-fTrcT-er krip-tb-jencik deks-tropc_-d^l dU-^-rTc^

before death In front and below of obscure, indeterminate etiology or origin prefers using the right leg to using the left leg rapid movement of fecal matters through the intestines

ectoderm

ekctb-derm

outer layer of cells in the embryo

endocarditis

encdb-kar-dUctis

inflammation of the innermost part of the heart

epibulbar esophoria exophoria extracellular hemisphere infrasonic interdental intrapartum ipsilateral lateroflexion levorotation mediolateral mesoderm

ep-i-b\lcbar es-b-fbcrT-^ eksco-fbcrT-^ eks-tr^-selcyu-ler hemci-sfTr incfr^-soncik in-ter-denct^l inctr^-parct\m ip-si-latcer-^l latcer-b-flekcsh\n lT-vb-rb-tQcsh\n mTcdT-b-latcer-^l mezcb-derm

opisthotonos

op-is-thotcb-n\s

upon a bulb of any kind; upon the eyeball tendency for the eyes to turn inward tendency of the eyes to deviate outward outside the cells half of a round structure denoting frequencies that lie below the human hearing range between teeth during labor and delivery or childbirth on the same side a bending or curvature to one side turning or twisting to the left relating to the median plane and a side the middle of the three primary germ layers of the embryo (the others being ectoderm and endoderm) Form of spasm in which the head and heels are bent backward and the body is bowed forward

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orthopara-

orthostatic paramedical

br-thb-statcik par-^-medci-k^l

relating to an erect posture or position related to the medical profession in an adjunctive capacity

perinatal postnatal posterosuperior

per-i-nQct^l pbst-nQct^l

around the periods before, during, or after the time of birth after birth situated behind and at the upper part

peripostpostero-

straight beside, near, beyond, apart from around after behind, the back of

preretro-

before prenatal behind, located behind retrojection

prT-nQct^l re-trb-jekcsh\n

sinistrosubsuper-, supratele-

left, toward the left under above, over

sinistropedal subacute superacute

sin-is-tropc_-d^l s\b-^-kyutc soocper-^-kyutc

far away, distance, at a distance across, through, beyond different

telepathy

t_-lepc^-thT

transplant

tranzcplant

variable

varcT-^-bl

transvari-

poscter-b-soo-pTcrT[r

before birth washing out of a cavity by the backward flow of an injected fluid one who prefers to use the left leg of the severity of a disease, between acute and chronic of the severity of a disease, extremely acute ransmittal and reception of thoughts by means other than through the normal senses, as a form of extrasensory perception o transfer from one part to another, as in grafting and transplantation that which is able to change

Prefix aeroandroauto-

Meaning air, gas masculine self, same

Example aerogenic androphobia autograft

biodysglyco-, gluc(o)-

life bad, difficult sugars or glycine

biocidal dyslexia glycopenia

Miscellaneous Prefixes Pronunciation* Brief Explanation gas-forming Qr-b-jencik morbid fear of men, or of the male sex an-drb-fbcbT-^ a tissue or an organ transferred by grafting into a new position awctb-graft in the body of the same individual destructive of life; particularly pertaining to microorganisms bU-b-sUcd^l impaired reading ability dis-lekcsT-^ a deficiency of any or all sugars in an organ or tissue glU-kb-pTcnT-^

gyn(o)-, gyne-, gyneco-

female

gynecology

gU-n_-kolcb-jT

study of diseases unique to women

* Pronunciation quoted from: Dirckx, John H., editor, Stedman's Concise Medical Dictionary for the Health Professions, Baltimore, MD: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 4th Edition, 2001

In case of the slightest doubt, consult a medical and health care dictionary! William Tsang 2007

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