What does parathyroid mean in medical terms?
parathyroid
Meaning: parathyroid glands, beside the thyroid
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 parathyroid means, and real medical words that use it, each broken down into its parts.
Example words using parathyroid
parathyroidectomy
parathyroid (parathyroid gland) + -ectomy (surgical removal) = surgical removal of a parathyroid gland
parathyroid (parathyroid gland) + -ectomy (surgical removal) = surgical removal of a parathyroid gland
hyperparathyroidism
hyper- (excessive) + parathyroid (parathyroid gland) + -ism (condition) = condition of excessive parathyroid activity
hyper- (excessive) + parathyroid (parathyroid gland) + -ism (condition) = condition of excessive parathyroid activity
hypoparathyroidism
hypo- (deficient) + parathyroid (parathyroid gland) + -ism (condition) = condition of deficient parathyroid activity
hypo- (deficient) + parathyroid (parathyroid gland) + -ism (condition) = condition of deficient parathyroid activity
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.