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What does ex- mean in medical terms?
ex-
Meaning: out, away from, outside
Type: Prefix
A prefix goes at the very start of a word, before the root. On this page: what ex- means, and real medical words that use it, each broken down into its parts.
Example words using ex-
exhale
ex- (out) + hale (to breathe) = to breathe out
ex- (out) + hale (to breathe) = to breathe out
excision
ex- (out) + cis (to cut) + ion (action) = the cutting out of tissue
ex- (out) + cis (to cut) + ion (action) = the cutting out of tissue
extraction
ex- (out) + tract (to pull) + ion (action) = the pulling out of a structure, such as a tooth
ex- (out) + tract (to pull) + ion (action) = the pulling out of a structure, such as a tooth
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.