MEDICAL ENGLISH 1: SUFFIXES HANDOUT

I. SURGICAL PROCEDURE SUFFIXES : a) Incision

Use the meaning column to complete the words on the left
Incomplete Word

Meaning

1. EPISIO/O/T O M Y

incision of the perineum

2. COL _ _ _ _ _ _

excision (of all or part) of the colon

3. ARTHR/O/ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

puncture of a joint (to remove fluid)

4. SPLEN _ _ _ _ _ _

excision of the spleen

5. COL/O _ _ _ _ _

forming of a permanent opening into the colon

6. DERMA _ _ _ _

instrument to cut skin

7. TYMPAN/O _ _ _ _

incision of the tympanic membrane

8. TRACHE/O _ _ _ _ _

forming an opening into the trachea

9. MAST _ _ _ _ _ _

excision of the breast

10. LITH/O _ _ _ _

incision to remove a stone or calculus

11. HEMORRHOID _ _ _ _ _ _

excision of hemorrhoids

Use the word list to build words meaning: COLOSTOMY, ARTHROCENTESIS, DERMATOME,
MASTECTOMY, TYMPANOTOMY, SPLENECTOMY, COLECTOMY, EPISIOTOMY, TRACHEOSTOMY,
LITHOTOMY, HEMORRHOIDECTOMY
12. forming an opening into the colon
13. excision of the colon
14. instrument to cut skin
15. puncture of a joint
16. incision to remove a stone
17. excision of a breast
18. incision of the tympanic membrane
19. forming an opening into the trachea
20. excision of the spleen

COLOSTOMY

I. SURGICAL PROCEDURE SUFFIXES : b) Plastic operations (repair, rebuild, reconstruct, bind)

Use the meaning column to complete the words on the left
Nr
Incomplete Word
Meaning
1.

ARTHR/O _ _ _ _ _

fixation or binding of a joint

2.

RHIN/O/ _ _ _ _ _ _

surgical/plastic repair of the nose

3.

TEN/O/ _ _ _ _ _ _

surgical/plastic repair of tendons

4.

MY/O/ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

suture of muscle

5.

MAST/O/ _ _ _ _

fixation of a (pendulous) breast

6.

CYST/O/ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

suture of the bladder

I. SURGICAL PROCEDURE SUFFIXES : c) Refracturing, loosening, crushing

Use the meaning column to complete the words on the left
Nr

Incomplete Word

Meaning

7.

OSTE/O/ _ _ _ _ _ _

to break or fracture a bone

8.

LITH/O/ _ _ _ _ _ _

crushing a stone

9.

ENTER/O/ _ _ _ _ _

separating intestinal (adhesions)

10.

NEUR/O/ _ _ _ _ _ _

crushing a nerve

Use the word list to build words meaning: ARTHRODESIS, TENOPLASTY, MASTOPEXY, OSTEOCLASIS,
ENTEROLYSIS, RHINOPLASTY, MYORRHAPHY, CYSTORRHAPHY, LITHOTRIPSY, NEUROTRIPSY
11. surgical repair of the nose
12. fixation of a joint
13. suture of a (torn) muscle
14. fixation of a (pendulous) breast
15. suture of the bladder
16. repair of tendons
17. refracturing a bone

18. crushing stones

19. freeing intestinal (adhesions)
20. crushing a nerve

II. DIAGNOSTIC AND SYMPTOMATIC SUFFIXES

Fill in the blanks to complete each medical word
Nr

Incomplete Word

Meaning

1.

BRONCHI_ _ _ _ _ _ _

dilation of a bronchus

2.

GASTR/O/ _ _ _ _ _

pain in the stomach

3.

NEPHR _ _ _ _

abnormal condition of the kidneys

4.

CHOLE _ _ _ _

gallstone

5.

CARCIN/O/ _ _ _

forming or producing cancer

6.

PSYCH/O/ _ _ _ _

study of the mind

7.

OSTE/O/ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

softening of bone

8.

HEPAT/O/ _ _ _ _ _ _

enlargement of the liver

9.

CHOLELITH _ _ _ _ _

abnormal condition of gallstones

10.

THERM/O/ _ _ _ _ _

instrument for measuring heat

Fill in the blanks to complete each medical word

Nr

Incomplete Word

Meaning

11.

HEPAT/O/ _ _ _ _

herniation of the liver

12.

LIP _ _ _

resembling fat

13.

NEUR/O/ _ _ _ _ _

disease of the nerves

14.

DERMAT _ _ _ _

abnormal condition of the skin

15.

HEMI _ _ _ _ _ _

paralysis of one half of the body

16.

PROCT/O/ _ _ _ _ _

visual examination of the colon

17.

DYS _ _ _ _ _ _

difficult swallowing

18.

A_ _ _ _ _ _

without speech or absence of speech

19.

CEPHAL _ _ _ _ _

pain in the head; headache

20.

BLEPHAR/O/ _ _ _ _ _

twitching of the eyelid

Fill in the blanks to complete each medical word

Nr

Incomplete Word

Meaning

21.

ANGI/_/ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

rupture of a blood vessel

22.

HEM/_/ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

development or formation of blood

23.

HYSTER/O/ _ _ _ _ _ _

prolapse of the uterus

24.

HEMI _ _ _ _ _ _ _

paralysis of one half (of the body)

25.

HYPER _ _ _ _ _ _

excessive formation (of an organ or

tissue)

III. SUFFIXES: ADJECTIVE ENDINGS

Use the following adjective suffixes to complete a medical term: -AC, -AL, -IC, -ARY, -OUS, -TIC, -EAL
ELEMENT

MEDICAL TERM

MEANING

thorac/

THORACIC

pertaining to the chest

gastr/

pertaining to the stomach

bacteri/

pertaining to bacteria

asthma/

pertaining to asthma

axill/

pertaining to the armpit

cardi/

pertaining to the heart

spin/

pertaining to the spine

membran/

pertaining to the membrane

larynx/

pertaining to larynx

III. SUFFIXES: NOUN ENDINGS

Use the following noun suffixes to complete a medical term: -OLE, -ULE, - IST, -ISM, -ICLE
ELEMENT

MEDICAL TERM

MEANING

intern/

INTERNIST

specialist in internal medicine

alcohol/

condition of (excessive ) alcohol

orth/o/ped/

specialist in orthopedics

artheri/

small artery

ven/

small vein

oss/

small bone

IV. PLURAL SUFFIXES

FORM
Singular

Plural

ae

ax

EXAMPLE
RULE

Singular

Plural

Retain the a and add e

pleura

pleurae

aces

Drop the x and add ces

thorax

thoraces

en

ina

Drop the en and add ina

lumen

lumina

is

es

Drop the is and add es

diagnosis

diagnoses

ix

ices

Drop the ix or ex and add ices

appendix
apex

appendices
apices

ex
on

Drop the on and add a

ganglion

ganglia

um

Drop the um and add a

bacterium

bacteria

us

Drop the us and add i

bronchus

bronchi

ies

Drop the y and add ies

deformity

deformities

ma

mata

Retain the ma and add ta

carcinoma

carcinomata

Write the plural form for each word

Nr

Singular

Plural

Singular

DIAGNOSIS

DIAGNOSES

PROGNOSIS

FORNIX

THROMBUS

BURSA

APPENDIX

VERTEBRA

BACTERIUM

KERATOSIS

RADIUS

BRONCHUS

TESTIS

SPERMATOZOON

NEVUS

SEPTUM

COCCUS

APEX

PROTOZOON

Plural