What does cheil mean in medical terms?

cheil

Meaning: lip

Type: Word root · Body system: Digestive System & Abdomen

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

Example words using cheil

cheilitis
cheil (lip) + -itis (inflammation) = inflammation of the lip
cheiloplasty
cheil (lip) + -plasty (surgical repair) = surgical repair of the lip

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.