What does brachy- mean in medical terms?

brachy-

Meaning: short

Type: Prefix

A prefix goes at the very start of a word, before the root. On this page: what brachy- means, and real medical words that use it, each broken down into its parts.

Example words using brachy-

brachytherapy
brachy- (short) + therapy (treatment) = radiation treatment given from a short distance inside or near the target
brachydactyly
brachy- (short) + dactyl (finger or toe) + y (condition) = abnormally short fingers or toes

Shortened forms

Charts and notes shorten long terms — see the Medical Abbreviations guide for the short forms you will meet in real records.

Please note: This section teaches the language of medicine — what word parts mean and how terms are built. It is an educational reference, not medical advice. For the meaning of a word in your own medical record, ask the clinician who wrote it.