What does spondyl mean in medical terms?

spondyl

Meaning: vertebra

Type: Word root · Body system: Bones, Joints & Muscles

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

Example words using spondyl

spondylitis
spondyl (vertebra) + -itis (inflammation) = inflammation of a vertebra
spondylosis
spondyl (vertebra) + -osis (condition) = condition of the vertebrae

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.