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What does hypo- mean in medical terms?
hypo-
Meaning: deficient, below normal, under
Type: Prefix
A prefix goes at the very start of a word, before the root. On this page: what hypo- means, and real medical words that use it, each broken down into its parts.
Example words using hypo-
hypotension
hypo- (below normal) + tension (pressure) = abnormally low blood pressure
hypo- (below normal) + tension (pressure) = abnormally low blood pressure
hypoglycemia
hypo- (deficient) + glyc (sugar) + emia (blood condition) = an abnormally low level of sugar in the blood
hypo- (deficient) + glyc (sugar) + emia (blood condition) = an abnormally low level of sugar in the blood
hypodermic
hypo- (under) + derm (skin) + ic (relating to) = relating to under the skin
hypo- (under) + derm (skin) + ic (relating to) = relating to under the skin
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.