What does hem mean in medical terms?

hem

Meaning: blood

Type: Word root · Body system: Blood & Immune System

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

Example words using hem

hemorrhage
hem (blood) + -rrhage (bursting forth) = bursting forth of blood
hemolysis
hem (blood) + -lysis (breakdown) = breakdown of blood cells

More Blood & Immune System roots

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.