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What does -lytic mean in medical terms?
-lytic
Meaning: destroying; breaking down
Type: Suffix
A suffix goes at the very end of a word, after the root. On this page: what -lytic means, and real medical words that use it, each broken down into its parts.
Example words using -lytic
hemolytic
hemo (blood) + -lytic (destroying) = destroying red blood cells
hemo (blood) + -lytic (destroying) = destroying red blood cells
thrombolytic
thrombo (clot) + -lytic (breaking down) = breaking down a blood clot
thrombo (clot) + -lytic (breaking down) = breaking down a blood clot
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.