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What does tri- mean in medical terms?
tri-
Meaning: three
Type: Prefix
A prefix goes at the very start of a word, before the root. On this page: what tri- means, and real medical words that use it, each broken down into its parts.
Example words using tri-
tricuspid
tri- (three) + cuspid (point) = having three points, describing a heart valve with three cusps
tri- (three) + cuspid (point) = having three points, describing a heart valve with three cusps
trigeminal
tri- (three) + geminal (paired, twin) = the nerve with three main branches
tri- (three) + geminal (paired, twin) = the nerve with three main branches
trilateral
tri- (three) + lateral (side) = having three sides
tri- (three) + lateral (side) = having three sides
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.