What does cortic mean in medical terms?

cortic

Meaning: cortex, outer layer; adrenal cortex

Type: Word root · Body system: Hormones & Glands

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

Example words using cortic

cortical
cortic (cortex) + -al (pertaining to) = pertaining to a cortex
corticosteroid
cortic (adrenal cortex) + steroid (steroid structure) = a steroid hormone of the adrenal cortex
adrenocortical
adreno- (adrenal gland) + cortic (cortex) + -al (pertaining to) = pertaining to the adrenal cortex

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.