What does spir mean in medical terms?

spir

Meaning: to breathe

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

Example words using spir

respiration
re- (again) + spir (breathe) + -ation (process) = process of breathing
spirometry
spir (breathe) + -metry (measurement) = measurement of breathing

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.