What does iatr mean in medical terms?

iatr

Meaning: physician, medical treatment

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 iatr means, and real medical words that use it, each broken down into its parts.

Example words using iatr

iatrogenic
iatr (physician) + -genic (produced by) = produced by medical treatment or a physician's actions
pediatrics
ped- (child) + iatr (medical treatment) + -ics (science of) = the branch of medicine for children
geriatrics
ger- (old age) + iatr (medical treatment) + -ics (science of) = the branch of medicine for older adults

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.