What does deca- mean in medical terms?

deca-

Meaning: ten

Type: Prefix

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

Example words using deca-

decagram
deca- (ten) + gram (a unit of weight) = a unit of ten grams
decaliter
deca- (ten) + liter (a unit of volume) = a unit of ten liters

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.