What does therm mean in medical terms?
therm
Meaning: heat
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 therm means, and real medical words that use it, each broken down into its parts.
Example words using therm
thermometer
therm (heat) + -meter (instrument for measuring) = instrument that measures temperature
therm (heat) + -meter (instrument for measuring) = instrument that measures temperature
hypothermia
hypo- (below) + therm (heat) + -ia (condition) = condition of abnormally low body temperature
hypo- (below) + therm (heat) + -ia (condition) = condition of abnormally low body temperature
hyperthermia
hyper- (excessive) + therm (heat) + -ia (condition) = condition of abnormally high body temperature
hyper- (excessive) + therm (heat) + -ia (condition) = condition of abnormally high body temperature
More Whole Body & General Terms roots
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.