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What does lepto- mean in medical terms?
lepto-
Meaning: thin, slender, small
Type: Prefix
A prefix goes at the very start of a word, before the root. On this page: what lepto- means, and real medical words that use it, each broken down into its parts.
Example words using lepto-
leptomeninges
lepto- (thin) + meninges (membranes) = the thin inner membranes covering the brain and spinal cord
lepto- (thin) + meninges (membranes) = the thin inner membranes covering the brain and spinal cord
leptospirosis
lepto- (slender) + spir (a coil) + osis (condition) = an infection caused by slender spiral bacteria
lepto- (slender) + spir (a coil) + osis (condition) = an infection caused by slender spiral bacteria
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.