What does -scope mean in medical terms?

-scope

Meaning: instrument for visual examination

Type: Suffix

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

Example words using -scope

endoscope
endo (within) + -scope (viewing instrument) = instrument for viewing inside the body
stethoscope
stetho (chest) + -scope (viewing instrument) = instrument for listening to the chest

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.