What does -derm mean in medical terms?

-derm

Meaning: skin; layer

Type: Suffix

A suffix goes at the very end of a word, after the root. On this page: what -derm means, and real medical words that use it, each broken down into its parts.

Example words using -derm

ectoderm
ecto (outer) + -derm (layer) = outer germ layer
endoderm
endo (inner) + -derm (layer) = inner germ layer
mesoderm
meso (middle) + -derm (layer) = middle germ layer

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.