What does cephal mean in medical terms?

cephal

Meaning: head

Type: Word root · Body system: Whole Body & General Terms

A word root is the core of a word; prefixes and suffixes attach around it. On this page: what cephal means, and real medical words that use it, each broken down into its parts.

Example words using cephal

cephalic
cephal (head) + -ic (pertaining to) = pertaining to the head
hydrocephalus
hydro- (water) + cephal (head) + -us (condition) = accumulation of fluid within the head
encephalitis
en- (within) + cephal (head) + -itis (inflammation) = inflammation within the head, of the brain

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.