Common Prefixes
Common prefixes, their meanings, and an example of a related term are presented in the table that follows. First, study
the prefix as well as its meaning and practice pronouncing the term aloud. Then use the information in the following
table to complete the meaning of the term. You may also refer to Appendix A: Glossary of Medical Word Elements,
page 548. To build a working vocabulary of medical terms and understand how those terms are used in the health-
care industry, it is important that you complete these exercises.
Common Prefixes • CHAPTER 1 23Prefix Term Meaning
a-*, an-† a/mast/ia
without, not ă-MĂS-tē-ă
mast: breast Amastia may be the result of a congenital
-ia: condition defect, an endocrine disorder, or mastectomy.
an/esthesia
ăn-ĕs-THĒ-zē-ă
-esthesia: feeling
circum-, peri- circum/duction
around sĕr-kŭm-DŬK-shŭn
-duction: act of leading,
bringing, conducting
peri/odont/al
pĕr-ē-ō-DŎN-tăl
odont: teeth
-al: pertaining to
dia-, trans- dia/rrhea
through, across dī-ă-RĒ-ă
-rrhea: discharge, flow Diarrhea is a condition of abnormally frequent
discharge or flow of fluid fecal matter from the
bowel.
trans/vagin/al
trăns-VĂJ-ĭn-ăl
vagin: vagina
-al: pertaining to
dipl-, diplo- dipl/opia
double dĭp-LŌ-pē-ă
-opia: vision
diplo/bacteri/al
dĭp-lō-băk-TĒR-ē-ăl
bacteri: bacteria Diplobacteria reproduce in such a manner
-al: pertaining to that they are joined together in pairs.
endo-, intra- endo/crine
in, within ĔN-dō-krīn
-crine: secrete Endocrine refers to a gland that secretes
directly into the bloodstream.
intra/muscul/ar
ĭn-tră-MŬS-kū-lăr
muscul: muscle
-ar: pertaining toContinued