What does homo- mean in medical terms?

homo-

Meaning: same

Type: Prefix

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

Example words using homo-

homogeneous
homo- (same) + gene (kind) + ous (characterized by) = of the same kind throughout
homozygous
homo- (same) + zygous (yoked, paired) = having two identical alleles for a gene
homograft
homo- (same) + graft (transplanted tissue) = a graft from another individual of the same species

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.