A free medical terminology glossary covering the core building blocks of clinical language: prefixes, roots, and suffixes, each with a plain-English meaning and example.
| Prefix | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| a-, an- | without, absence of | apnea, anemia |
| brady- | slow | bradycardia |
| tachy- | fast, rapid | tachycardia |
| dys- | difficult, abnormal, painful | dyspnea, dysphagia |
| hyper- | excessive, above normal | hypertension |
| hypo- | below normal, deficient | hypoglycemia |
| endo- | within, inner | endocarditis |
| peri- | around, surrounding | pericarditis |
| epi- | upon, above | epidermis |
| inter- | between | intercostal |
| intra- | within | intravenous |
| sub- | under, below | subcutaneous |
| Root | Meaning | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| cardi(o)- | heart | cardiomegaly, carditis |
| angi(o)- | vessel, duct | angioplasty, angiography |
| thromb(o)- | clot | thrombosis, thrombocytopenia |
| hem(o)-, hemat(o)- | blood | hematoma, hemolysis |
| encephal(o)- | brain | encephalopathy, encephalitis |
| neur(o)- | nerve | neuropathy, neuralgia |
| my(o)- | muscle | myopathy, myocardial |
| arthr(o)- | joint | arthralgia, arthritis |
| oste(o)- | bone | osteoporosis, osteonecrosis |
| hepat(o)- | liver | hepatitis, hepatomegaly |
| gastr(o)- | stomach | gastroparesis, gastritis |
| enter(o)- | intestine | enteritis, enterocolitis |
| col(o)-, colon(o)- | colon | colitis, colonoscopy |
| nephr(o)- | kidney | nephritis, nephrology |
| Suffix | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| -algia | pain | arthralgia, neuralgia |
| -ectomy | surgical removal | appendectomy, cholecystectomy |
| -emia | blood condition | anemia, hyperglycemia |
| -genesis | origin, production | oncogenesis, hematopoiesis |
| -gram | record, image | electrocardiogram, mammogram |
| -graphy | process of recording | echocardiography, angiography |
| -itis | inflammation | appendicitis, hepatitis |
| -logy | study of | cardiology, neurology |
| -lysis | breakdown, destruction | hemolysis, fibrinolysis |
| -megaly | enlargement | hepatomegaly, splenomegaly |
| -oma | tumor, mass | melanoma, carcinoma |
| -osis | condition, abnormal process | thrombosis, fibrosis |
| -pathy | disease, disorder | neuropathy, cardiomyopathy |
| -penia | deficiency, decrease | thrombocytopenia, leukopenia |
Terms are grouped by morpheme type — prefixes, roots, and suffixes — and within each group, alphabetically. This mirrors how clinical vocabulary is built, so you can decode unfamiliar terms by recognizing their parts.
The glossary covers the highest-frequency prefixes, roots, and suffixes used across general medicine, nursing, and most specialties — enough to decode the vast majority of clinical vocabulary you'll encounter in practice.
Yes. Every prefix, root, and suffix used in nursing assessment, charting, medication names, and clinical communication is included.
Yes, the full glossary is free with no signup required. Bookmark it as a reference while you study, work, or play the games.
The glossary is a reference — quick lookups when you need a definition. The games build active recall and fluency. Most learners use both: glossary for lookup, games for retention.