Medical terminology is composed of a prefix, root word, and suffix. It is used to precisely describe the human body components, processes, illnesses, medical procedures, and pharmacology. Medical terminology is used in the field of medicine, and clinical settings. This section deals with all med terms beginning with a letter A.

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This section was developed for 'speed learning' of medical terminology. Start by reviewing the meanings for a block of medical terms, and then go back and choose a previous term randomly and try to recall the meaning of that particular medical term before hovering over the term to determine the answer. These frequent mini-tests will accelerate the learning process and in a relatively short period of time, you will be able to quickly recall the meaning of all of the listed medical terms. This method of learning is superior to flash cards because of the frequent exposure and testing of your recall.
a-   no; not; without
an-     no; not; without
ab-      away from
abdomin/o      abdomen
-ac      pertaining to
acanth/o       spiny; thorny
acar/o       mites
acetabul/o   acetabulum (hip socket)
acous/o       hearing
acoust/o       hearing, sound
acr/o        extremities; top; extreme point
acromi/o         acromion (extension of shoulder bone)
actin/o         light
acu/o      sharp; severe; sudden
-acusis       hearing
ad-       toward
-ad       toward
aden/o       gland
adenoid/o   adenoids
adip/o        fat
adren/o       adrenal gland
adrenal/o   adrenal gland
aer/o       air
af-       toward
agglutin/o   clumping; sticking together
-agogue      producer, leader
-agon       to assemble; gather
agora-       marketplace
-agra       excessive pain
-al       pertaining to
alb/o       white
albin/o       white
albumin/o   albumin (protein)
alges/o       sensitivity to pain
-algesia       sensitivity to pain
-algia       pain
all/o       other
alveol/o        alveolus; air sac; small sac
ambi-       around, on both sides, about
ambly/o       dim; dull
amphi-      around, on both sides
-amine       nitrogen compound
ammon/o        ammonium
amni/o      amnion (sac surrounding the embryo)
amyl/o       starch
an/o      anus
-an       pertaining to
ana-    up; apart; backward; again; anew
andr/o       male
aneurysm/o   aneurysm (widening of blood vessel)
angi/o       vessel (blood)
anis/o       unequal
ankyl/o       stiff
ante-       before; forward
anter/o       front
anthrac/o   coal
anthr/o       antrum of the stomach
anti-       against
anxi/o       uneasy; anxious
aort/o       aorta (largest artery)
-apheresis    removal
aphth/o        ulcer
apo-       off; away
aponeur/o   aponeurosis (type of tendon)
append/o       appendix
appendic/o   appendix
aque/o       water
-ar       pertaining to
arachn/o       spider
-arche       beginning
arsenic/o    arsenic
arter/o       artery
arteri/o       artery
arteriol/o   arteriole (small artery)
arthr/o      joint
-arthria       articulate (speak distinctly)
articul/o   joint
-artresia   closure, occlusion
atreto-       closed, lacking an opening
-ary       pertaining to
asbest/o       asbestos
-ase       enzyme
aspir/o      removal
-assay      to examine, analyze
-asthenia   lack of strength
astr/o       star, star-shaped
aque/o      water
atel/o       incomplete
ather/o      plaque (fatty substance)
-ation      process; condition
atri/o      atrium (upper heart chamber)
atmo-       steam, vapor
audi/o       hearing
audit/o       hearing
aur/o       ear
auricul/o   ear
auscult/o   to listen
aut/o       self; own
aut-       self; own
auto-       self; own
aux/o       growth, acceleration
axill/o       armpit
axi/o       axis
azot/o       urea; nitrogen

a(n)

absence of

acou, acu

hear

aden(o)

gland

aer(o)

air

alg

pain

andr(o)

man

angi(o)

vessel

ankyl(o)

crooked, curved

ante

before

anter(i)

front, forward

anti

against

arteri(o)

artery

arthr(o)

joint

articul

joint

ather(o)

fatty

audi(o)

hearing

aur(i)

ear

aut(o)

self

bi, bis

double, twice, two

brachy

short

brady

slow

bucc(o)

cheek

carcin(o)

cancer

cardi(o)

heart

cephal(o)

head

cerebr(o)

brain

cervic

neck

chol(e)

bile, or referring to gall-bladder

chondr(o)

cartilage

circum

around, about

contra

against, counter

corpor

body

cost(o)

rib

crani(o)

skull

cry(o)

cold

cut

skin

cyan(o)

blue

cyst(o)

bladder

cyt(o)

cell

dactyl(o)

finger or toe

dent

tooth

derm(ato)

skin

dipl(o)

double

dors

back

dys

bad, faulty, abnormal

ectomy

excision (removal by cutting)

emia

blood

encephal(o)

brain

end(o)

inside

enter(o)

intestine

epi

outer, superficial, upon

erythr(o)

red

eu

normal

extra

outside

gastr(o)

stomach

gen

become, originate

gloss(o)

tongue

glyc(o)

sweet, or referring to glucose

gram, graph

write, record

gyn

woman

hem(ato)

blood

hemi

half

hepat(o)

liver

hist(o)

tissue

hydr(o)

water

hyper

excessive, high

hypo

deficient, low

hyster(o)

uterus

iatr(o)

doctor

infra

beneath

inter

among, between

intra

inside

itis

inflammation

lact(o)

milk

lapar(o)

flank, abdomen

latero

side

leuk(o)

white

lingu(o)

tongue

lip(o)

fat

lys(is)

dissolve

mal

bad, abnormal

malac

soft

mamm(o)

breast

mast(o)

breast

megal(o)

large

melan(o)

black

mening(o)

membranes

my(o)

muscle

myc(o)

fungus

myel(o)

marrow

nas(o)

nose

necr(o)

death

nephr(o)

kidney

neur(o)

nerve

nutri

nourish

ocul(o)

eye

odyn(o)

pain

oma

tumor

onc(o)

tumor

oophor(o)

ovaries

ophthalm(o)

eye

opia

vision

opsy

examination

orchi(o)

testes

osis

condition

osse(o)

bone

oste(o)

bone

ot(o)

ear

path(o)

disease

ped(o)

child

penia

deficient, deficiency

peps, pept

digest

peri

around

phag(o)

eat, destroy

pharmaco

drug

pharyng(o)

throat

phleb(o)

vein

phob(ia)

fear

plasty

repair

pleg(ia)

paralysis

pnea

breathing

pneum(ato)

breath, air

pneumon(o)

lung

pod(o)

foot

poie

make, produce

poly

much, many

post

after

poster(i)

back, behind

presby

elder

proct(o)

anus

pseud(o)

false

psych(o)

mind

pulmon(o)

lung

pyel(o)

pelvis of kidney

pyr(o)

fever, fire

rachi(o)

spine

ren(o)

kidneys

rhag

break, burst

rhe

flow

rhin(o)

nose

scler(o)

hard

scope

instrument

scopy

examination

somat(o)

body

spondyl(o)

vertebra

steat(o)

fat

sten(o)

narrow, compressed

steth(o)

chest

stom

mouth, opening

supra

above

tachy

fast, quick

therap

treatment

therm(o)

heat

thorac(o)

chest

thromb(o)

clot, lump

tomy

incision (operation by cutting)

tox(i)

poison

uria

urine

vas(o)

vessel

ven(o)

vein

vesic(o)

bladder

xer(o)

dry

NAVIGATION

Check out the following resources to support your learning and understanding of medical terminology:
  • Quick Introduction- provides an overview and introduction to medical terminology.
  • Word Building Reference- This resource strengthens your understanding of medical terminology.  See how common medical terms are created using the various prefixes, suffixes, and root words.
  • Medical Terms – rules governing singular versus plural versions of medical terms are described.
  • Medical Terminology Exams- twenty new exams were created to test your knowledge of medical terminology.