What does -trophy mean in medical terms?

-trophy

Meaning: nourishment; development

Type: Suffix

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

Example words using -trophy

hypertrophy
hyper- (excessive) + -trophy (development) = increase in size of tissue from cell enlargement
hypotrophy
hypo- (below) + -trophy (nourishment) = underdevelopment from lack of nourishment

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.