Medical Word Roots A–Z

The word root is the core of a medical term — it carries the main meaning, usually a body part, organ, fluid or body system. Most roots come from Greek or Latin, which is why the heart is "cardi", the kidney is "nephr" and the liver is "hepat". Learn the roots and thousands of long medical words become readable.

All 198 word roots are listed below. Open any word part for its meaning and example words broken down part by part.

Word part	Type	Meaning
abdomin	Word root	abdomen
aden	Word root	gland
adip	Word root	fat
adrenal	Word root	adrenal gland
alges	Word root	sensitivity to pain
anatom	Word root	structure of the body, dissection
angi	Word root	vessel
aort	Word root	aorta
arteri	Word root	artery
arthr	Word root	joint
atri	Word root	atrium
audi	Word root	hearing, sound
bacter	Word root	bacteria
blephar	Word root	eyelid
bronch	Word root	bronchus; bronchial tube
burs	Word root	bursa
carcin	Word root	cancer, crab
cardi	Word root	heart
cephal	Word root	head
cerebr	Word root	cerebrum
cervic	Word root	neck; cervix of the uterus
cheil	Word root	lip
chem	Word root	chemical
chol	Word root	bile; gall
cholecyst	Word root	gallbladder
chondr	Word root	cartilage
cochle	Word root	cochlea of the inner ear
col	Word root	colon
colp	Word root	vagina
corne	Word root	cornea of the eye
coron	Word root	crown; blood vessels of the heart
cortic	Word root	cortex, outer layer; adrenal cortex
cost	Word root	rib
crani	Word root	skull; cranium
crin	Word root	to secrete
cry	Word root	cold
cutane	Word root	skin
cyst	Word root	urinary bladder; sac
cyt	Word root	cell
dacry	Word root	tear, tear duct
dent	Word root	tooth
derm	Word root	skin
dermat	Word root	skin
dist	Word root	far, distant from a point
dors	Word root	back
electr	Word root	electricity
encephal	Word root	brain
endocrin	Word root	internal secretion; hormone secretion within the body
enter	Word root	intestine
erythr	Word root	red
esophag	Word root	esophagus
esthesi	Word root	sensation; feeling
eti	Word root	cause, origin
febr	Word root	fever
fibul	Word root	fibula
gangli	Word root	ganglion; cluster of nerve cells
gastr	Word root	stomach
gen	Word root	birth, origin, production
glomerul	Word root	glomerulus
gloss	Word root	tongue
glyc	Word root	sugar; glucose
gonad	Word root	sex gland, ovary or testis
gust	Word root	taste
gynec	Word root	woman, female
hem	Word root	blood
hemat	Word root	blood
hepat	Word root	liver
hidr	Word root	sweat
hist	Word root	tissue
hydr	Word root	water, fluid
hypn	Word root	sleep
hyster	Word root	uterus, womb
iatr	Word root	physician, medical treatment
immun	Word root	immune; immunity
inguin	Word root	groin
insul	Word root	islands; islets of the pancreas, insulin
insulin	Word root	insulin; pancreatic islet hormone
irid	Word root	iris of the eye
kerat	Word root	horny tissue, keratin; cornea
ket	Word root	ketones; ketone bodies
lacrim	Word root	tears, tear duct
lact	Word root	milk
lapar	Word root	abdomen
laryng	Word root	larynx; voice box
later	Word root	side
leuk	Word root	white
ligament	Word root	ligament
lingu	Word root	tongue
lith	Word root	stone; calculus
lymph	Word root	lymph
mamm	Word root	breast
mast	Word root	breast
medi	Word root	middle
medull	Word root	medulla, inner part
men	Word root	month, menstruation
mening	Word root	meninges; membranes
metr	Word root	uterus; also measure in other contexts
mort	Word root	death
muc	Word root	mucus
muscul	Word root	muscle
my	Word root	muscle
myc	Word root	fungus
myel	Word root	spinal cord; bone marrow
nas	Word root	nose
nec	Word root	death, dead tissue
nephr	Word root	kidney
neur	Word root	nerve
noc	Word root	harm, injury; pain signal in nociception
nos	Word root	disease
ocul	Word root	eye
onc	Word root	tumor; mass
oophor	Word root	ovary
ophthalm	Word root	eye
opt	Word root	vision, eye
ossicul	Word root	small bone, ear ossicle
oste	Word root	bone
ot	Word root	ear
ox	Word root	oxygen
pancreat	Word root	pancreas
parasit	Word root	parasite
parathyroid	Word root	parathyroid glands, beside the thyroid
parturit	Word root	childbirth, labor, giving birth
patell	Word root	patella; kneecap
path	Word root	disease
pelv	Word root	pelvis
perine	Word root	perineum, region between anus and genitalia
pharmac	Word root	drug, medicine
pharyng	Word root	pharynx; throat
phas	Word root	speech
phleb	Word root	vein
phon	Word root	sound, voice
phot	Word root	light
physi	Word root	nature, physical function
pil	Word root	hair
pineal	Word root	pineal gland
pituitar	Word root	pituitary gland
plas	Word root	formation, growth, development
pleur	Word root	pleura
pneumat	Word root	air, gas, breath
pneumon	Word root	lung; air
proct	Word root	rectum; anus
profund	Word root	deep
proxim	Word root	near, nearest to a point
psych	Word root	mind
pulmon	Word root	lung
py	Word root	pus
pyel	Word root	renal pelvis
pyret	Word root	fever
radi	Word root	ray, radiation; radius bone in some words
radicul	Word root	nerve root
ren	Word root	kidney
retin	Word root	retina of the eye
rhin	Word root	nose
salping	Word root	fallopian tube, uterine tube
scler	Word root	hard, hardening
seb	Word root	sebum, oily secretion, grease
septic	Word root	infection, putrefaction
ser	Word root	serum, watery fluid
sial	Word root	saliva; salivary gland
somat	Word root	body
somn	Word root	sleep
spir	Word root	to breathe
splen	Word root	spleen
spondyl	Word root	vertebra
stern	Word root	sternum; breastbone
stomat	Word root	mouth
superfic	Word root	surface
ten	Word root	tendon
tendin	Word root	tendon
therapeut	Word root	treatment, therapy
therm	Word root	heat
thorac	Word root	chest
thromb	Word root	clot
thym	Word root	thymus gland
thyr	Word root	thyroid gland
tibi	Word root	tibia; shin bone
tox	Word root	poison
trache	Word root	trachea; windpipe
trachel	Word root	neck, cervix
troph	Word root	nourishment, growth
tympan	Word root	eardrum, tympanic membrane
ungu	Word root	nail
ur	Word root	urine; urinary system
ureter	Word root	ureter
urethr	Word root	urethra
urin	Word root	urine
vagin	Word root	vagina
varic	Word root	varicose vein; dilated vein
vas	Word root	vessel; duct
ven	Word root	vein
ventr	Word root	belly, front side
ventricul	Word root	ventricle
vertebr	Word root	vertebra
vestibul	Word root	vestibule of the inner ear, entrance space
vir	Word root	virus, poison
viscer	Word root	internal organs
vulv	Word root	vulva, external female genitalia
zo	Word root	animal, life

Print this sheet: all 198 word roots on one printable page, with the address of this page and a QR code.

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Medical Word Roots — printable sheet
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Medical Word Roots — MedicalVideos.com

abdomin — abdomen

aden — gland

adip — fat

adrenal — adrenal gland

alges — sensitivity to pain

anatom — structure of the body, dissection

angi — vessel

aort — aorta

arteri — artery

arthr — joint

atri — atrium

audi — hearing, sound

bacter — bacteria

blephar — eyelid

bronch — bronchus; bronchial tube

burs — bursa

carcin — cancer, crab

cardi — heart

cephal — head

cerebr — cerebrum

cervic — neck; cervix of the uterus

cheil — lip

chem — chemical

chol — bile; gall

cholecyst — gallbladder

chondr — cartilage

cochle — cochlea of the inner ear

col — colon

colp — vagina

corne — cornea of the eye

coron — crown; blood vessels of the heart

cortic — cortex, outer layer; adrenal cortex

cost — rib

crani — skull; cranium

crin — to secrete

cry — cold

cutane — skin

cyst — urinary bladder; sac

cyt — cell

dacry — tear, tear duct

dent — tooth

derm — skin

dermat — skin

dist — far, distant from a point

dors — back

electr — electricity

encephal — brain

endocrin — internal secretion; hormone secretion within the body

enter — intestine

erythr — red

esophag — esophagus

esthesi — sensation; feeling

eti — cause, origin

febr — fever

fibul — fibula

gangli — ganglion; cluster of nerve cells

gastr — stomach

gen — birth, origin, production

glomerul — glomerulus

gloss — tongue

glyc — sugar; glucose

gonad — sex gland, ovary or testis

gust — taste

gynec — woman, female

hem — blood

hemat — blood

hepat — liver

hidr — sweat

hist — tissue

hydr — water, fluid

hypn — sleep

hyster — uterus, womb

iatr — physician, medical treatment

immun — immune; immunity

inguin — groin

insul — islands; islets of the pancreas, insulin

insulin — insulin; pancreatic islet hormone

irid — iris of the eye

kerat — horny tissue, keratin; cornea

ket — ketones; ketone bodies

lacrim — tears, tear duct

lact — milk

lapar — abdomen

laryng — larynx; voice box

later — side

leuk — white

ligament — ligament

lingu — tongue

lith — stone; calculus

lymph — lymph

mamm — breast

mast — breast

medi — middle

medull — medulla, inner part

men — month, menstruation

mening — meninges; membranes

metr — uterus; also measure in other contexts

mort — death

muc — mucus

muscul — muscle

my — muscle

myc — fungus

myel — spinal cord; bone marrow

nas — nose

nec — death, dead tissue

nephr — kidney

neur — nerve

noc — harm, injury; pain signal in nociception

nos — disease

ocul — eye

onc — tumor; mass

oophor — ovary

ophthalm — eye

opt — vision, eye

ossicul — small bone, ear ossicle

oste — bone

ot — ear

ox — oxygen

pancreat — pancreas

parasit — parasite

parathyroid — parathyroid glands, beside the thyroid

parturit — childbirth, labor, giving birth

patell — patella; kneecap

path — disease

pelv — pelvis

perine — perineum, region between anus and genitalia

pharmac — drug, medicine

pharyng — pharynx; throat

phas — speech

phleb — vein

phon — sound, voice

phot — light

physi — nature, physical function

pil — hair

pineal — pineal gland

pituitar — pituitary gland

plas — formation, growth, development

pleur — pleura

pneumat — air, gas, breath

pneumon — lung; air

proct — rectum; anus

profund — deep

proxim — near, nearest to a point

psych — mind

pulmon — lung

py — pus

pyel — renal pelvis

pyret — fever

radi — ray, radiation; radius bone in some words

radicul — nerve root

ren — kidney

retin — retina of the eye

rhin — nose

salping — fallopian tube, uterine tube

scler — hard, hardening

seb — sebum, oily secretion, grease

septic — infection, putrefaction

ser — serum, watery fluid

sial — saliva; salivary gland

somat — body

somn — sleep

spir — to breathe

splen — spleen

spondyl — vertebra

stern — sternum; breastbone

stomat — mouth

superfic — surface

ten — tendon

tendin — tendon

therapeut — treatment, therapy

therm — heat

thorac — chest

thromb — clot

thym — thymus gland

thyr — thyroid gland

tibi — tibia; shin bone

tox — poison

trache — trachea; windpipe

trachel — neck, cervix

troph — nourishment, growth

tympan — eardrum, tympanic membrane

ungu — nail

ur — urine; urinary system

ureter — ureter

urethr — urethra

urin — urine

vagin — vagina

varic — varicose vein; dilated vein

vas — vessel; duct

ven — vein

ventr — belly, front side

ventricul — ventricle

vertebr — vertebra

vestibul — vestibule of the inner ear, entrance space

vir — virus, poison

viscer — internal organs

vulv — vulva, external female genitalia

zo — animal, life

Printed from https://www.medicalvideos.com/medical-terminology/roots/ · Full searchable guide: https://www.medicalvideos.com/medical-terminology/ · Educational reference only.

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.

Medical Word Roots A–Z

Medical Word Roots — MedicalVideos.com

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