What does poikilo- mean in medical terms?

poikilo-

Meaning: irregular, varied

Type: Prefix

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

Example words using poikilo-

poikilocytosis
poikilo- (irregular) + cyt (cell) + osis (condition) = red blood cells of irregular shape
poikiloderma
poikilo- (varied) + derma (skin) = skin showing varied changes in color and texture

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.