Glossary of Medical Word Elements • APPENDIX A 555Medical Word Medical Word
Element Meaning Element Meaning
-ptosis prolapse, downward displacement
ptyal/o saliva
-ptysis spitting
pub/o pelvis bone (anterior part of the
pelvic bone)
pulmon/o lung
pupill/o pupil
py/o pus
pyel/o renal pelvis
pylor/o pylorus
pyr/o fire
Q, R
quadri- four
rachi/o spine
radi/o radiation, x-ray; radius (lower arm
bone on the thumb side)
radicul/o nerve root
rect/o rectum
ren/o kidney
reticul/o net, mesh
retin/o retina
retro- backward, behind
rhabd/o rod-shaped (striated)
rhabdomy/o rod-shaped (striated) muscle
rhin/o nose
rhytid/o wrinkle
roentgen/o x-ray
-rrhage bursting forth (of)
-rrhagia bursting forth (of)
-rrhaphy suture
-rrhea discharge, flow
-rrhexis rupture
-rrhythm/o rhythm
rube/o red
S
sacr/o sacrum
salping/o tube (usually fallopian or
eustachian [auditory] tubes)
-salpinx tube (usually fallopian or
eustachian [auditory] tubes)
sarc/o flesh (connective tissue)
-sarcoma malignant tumor of connective
tissue
scapul/o scapula (shoulder blade)-schisis a splitting
schiz/o split
scler/o hardening; sclera (white of
the eye)
scoli/o crooked, bent
-scope instrument for examining
-scopy visual examination
scot/o darkness
seb/o sebum, sebaceous
semi- one half
semin/i semen; seed
semin/o semen; seed
sept/o septum
septic/o infection
sequestr/o separation
ser/o serum
sial/o saliva, salivary gland
sider/o iron
sigmoid/o sigmoid colon
sin/o sinus, cavity
sinus/o sinus, cavity
-sis state of; condition
somat/o body
somn/o sleep
son/o sound
-spadias slit, fissure
-spasm involuntary contraction, twitching
sperm/i spermatozoa, sperm cells
sperm/o spermatozoa, sperm cells
spermat/o spermatozoa, sperm cells
sphygm/o pulse
-sphyxia pulse
spin/o spine
spir/o breathe
splen/o spleen
spondyl/o vertebra (backbone)
squam/o scale
staped/o stapes
-stasis standing still
steat/o fat
sten/o narrowing, stricture
-stenosis narrowing, stricture
stern/o sternum (breastbone)Continued3971_App A_548-557 13/02/14 11:21 AM Page 555