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What does meso- mean in medical terms?

meso-

Meaning: middle

Type: Prefix

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

Example words using meso-

mesoderm
meso- (middle) + derm (layer, skin) = the middle germ layer of an embryo
mesocolon
meso- (middle) + colon (large intestine) = the fold of membrane that attaches the colon within the abdomen
mesencephalon
meso- (middle) + encephalon (brain) = the midbrain

More prefixes

a-ab-ad-allo-ambi-amphi-an-ana-aniso-ante-anti-apo-

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.