What does eu- mean in medical terms?

eu-

Meaning: good, normal, well, true

Type: Prefix

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

Example words using eu-

eupnea
eu- (normal) + pnea (breathing) = normal, unlabored breathing
euthyroid
eu- (normal) + thyroid (the thyroid gland) = having normal thyroid function
eukaryote
eu- (true) + kary (nucleus) + ote (one having) = an organism whose cells have a true nucleus

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.