What does ox mean in medical terms?

ox

Meaning: oxygen

Type: Word root · Body system: Lungs & Breathing

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

Example words using ox

hypoxia
hypo- (below, deficient) + ox (oxygen) + -ia (condition) = condition of deficient oxygen
oximeter
ox (oxygen) + -meter (instrument for measuring) = instrument for measuring oxygen

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.