What does plas mean in medical terms?

plas

Meaning: formation, growth, development

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

Example words using plas

hyperplasia
hyper- (excessive) + plas (formation) + -ia (condition) = condition of excessive cell formation
dysplasia
dys- (abnormal) + plas (formation) + -ia (condition) = condition of abnormal cell formation
neoplasm
neo- (new) + plas (formation) + -m (thing) = a new growth of tissue

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.