What does pachy- mean in medical terms?

pachy-

Meaning: thick

Type: Prefix

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

Example words using pachy-

pachyderma
pachy- (thick) + derma (skin) = abnormal thickening of the skin
pachymeninges
pachy- (thick) + meninges (membranes) = the thick outer membranes covering the brain and spinal cord
pachycephaly
pachy- (thick) + cephal (head) + y (condition) = abnormal thickening of the skull bones

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.