What does pan- mean in medical terms?

pan-

Meaning: all, entire

Type: Prefix

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

Example words using pan-

pandemic
pan- (all) + dem (people) + ic (relating to) = a disease affecting people across a whole region or the world
pancytopenia
pan- (all) + cyto (cell) + penia (deficiency) = a deficiency of all types of blood cells
pancreas
pan- (all) + creas (flesh) = a gland named for being entirely flesh

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.