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What does olig- mean in medical terms?
olig-
Meaning: few, scanty, little
Type: Prefix
A prefix goes at the very start of a word, before the root. On this page: what olig- means, and real medical words that use it, each broken down into its parts.
Example words using olig-
oliguria
olig- (scanty) + uria (urine condition) = scanty production of urine
olig- (scanty) + uria (urine condition) = scanty production of urine
oligomenorrhea
olig- (infrequent) + meno (month) + rrhea (flow) = infrequent menstrual periods
olig- (infrequent) + meno (month) + rrhea (flow) = infrequent menstrual periods
oligodactyly
olig- (few) + dactyl (finger or toe) + y (condition) = having fewer than the normal number of fingers or toes
olig- (few) + dactyl (finger or toe) + y (condition) = having fewer than the normal number of fingers or toes
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.