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Veterinary Medical
Terminology Guide
and Workbook

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Veterinary Medical
Terminology Guide
and Workbook
Second Edition

Angela Taibo
Bel-Rea Institute of Animal Technology, Denver, Colorado, USA

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This edition first published 2019 © 2019 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Edition History
1e, 2014
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transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise,
except as permitted by law. Advice on how to obtain permission to reuse material from this title is available

at />The right of Angela Taibo to be identified as the author of the editorial material in this work has been
asserted in accordance with law.
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Library of Congress Cataloging‐in‐Publication Data
Names: Taibo, Angela, author.
Title: Veterinary medical terminology guide and workbook/ Angela Taibo.
Description: 2nd edition. | Hoboken, NJ :Wiley-Blackwell, [2019] | Includes
bibliographicalreferences and index. |

Identifiers: LCCN 2018054702 (print) | LCCN 2018056396(ebook) | ISBN 9781119465720
(Adobe PDF) | ISBN 9781119465768 (ePub) | ISBN 9781119465706 (paperback)
Subjects: LCSH: Veterinary medicine–Terminology. | Veterinary medicine–Problems, exercises, etc. |
MESH: Veterinary Medicine | Terminology | Problems and Exercises
Classification: LCC SF610 (ebook) | LCC SF610 .T35 2019(print) | NLM SF 610 |
DDC636.089001/4–dc23
LC record available at />Cover Design: Wiley
Cover Images: Background: © ivanastar/iStock.com,
Horse Anatomy: © decade3d - anatomy online/Shutterstock,
Rest of the images: © Angela Taibo
Set in 10/12 pt Sabon by SPi Global, Pondicherry, India

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

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Dedication
For John John.

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Contents

Preface
About the Companion Website


xi
xiii

Chapter 1
Introduction1
Anatomy of a Medical Term
1
Five Rules to Medical
Terminology3
Study Tips
5
Building the Terms
5
Special Terms
12
Chapter Abbreviations
15
SOAP17
Case Study
19
Exercises20
Review Tables
23

Chapter 2
Anatomical Organization

27


Structural Organization
27
Introduction to the Skeletal
Anatomy34
Building the Terms
40
Abbreviations45
46
Case Study
Exercises48
Review Tables
50

Chapter 3
The Musculoskeletal System

55

Bones55
Joints66
Muscles74
Building the Terms
78
Abbreviations86
Case Study
87
Exercises87
Review Tables
90


Chapter 4
The Gastrointestinal Tract

95

The Pathway of Food
95
111
Related Terms
Pathology and Procedures
115
Building the Terms
131
Abbreviations141
Case Study
145
Exercises145
Review Tables
149

Chapter 5
The Reproductive System

155

The Male Reproductive System
Building the Terms

155
162


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viiiContents

The Female Reproductive System 167
Building the Terms
186
Abbreviations192
Case Study
193
Exercises194
Review Tables
197

Chapter 6
The Cardiovascular System

203

Blood Vessels
203
Anatomy of the Heart
205
Circulation213
Related Terms
214
Pathology and Procedures
217

Building the Terms
227
Abbreviations230
Case Study
232
Exercises233
Review Tables
236

Chapter 7
The Respiratory Tract

239

Anatomy of the Respiratory Tract 239
Related Terms
242
Pathology and Procedures
243
Building the Terms
250
Abbreviations255
257
Case Study
Exercises257
Review Tables
260

Chapter 8
Hematology263

Anatomy and Physiology of Blood
and Blood‐Forming Organs
263
Related Terms
275
Pathology and Procedures
276
Building the Terms
280
Abbreviations285
Case Study
287
Exercises287
Review Tables
289

Chapter 9
Immunology293
The Lymphatic System
293
The Blood System
295
The Immune System
297
Related Terms
299
Pathology and Procedures
300
Building the Terms
305

Abbreviations309
Case Study
310
Exercises310
Review Tables
312

Chapter 10
The Endocrine System

315

Endocrine Glands
316
Related Terms
323
Pathology and Procedures
325
Building the Terms
329
Abbreviations332
Case Study
333
Exercises334
Review Tables
335

Chapter 11
The Integumentary System


339

Skin339
Hair342
Glands342
Nails343
Related Terms
343
Pathology and Procedures
344
Coat Types and Color
360
Building the Terms
365
Abbreviations367
Case Study
368
Exercises368
Review Tables
372

Chapter 12
The Nervous System

375

Nerves375
Divisions of the Nervous System 378

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ix

Contents

Related Terms
386
Pathology and Procedures
389
Building the Terms
394
Abbreviations401
Case Study
401
Exercises402
Review Tables
404

Chapter 13
The Eyes and Ears

409

The Eye
409
Building the Terms
425
The Ear
429

Building the Terms
434
Abbreviations437
Case Study
437
Exercises438
Review Tables
440

Chapter 14
The Urinary System

445

Anatomy of the Urinary System
445
Related Terms
449
Pathology and Procedures
451
Building the Terms
455
Abbreviations461
Case Study
462
Exercises462
464
Review Tables

Chapter 15

The Horse

467

Equine Anatomy
467
Mobility471
Types of Horses and their
Markings472
Equine Coat Colors and 
Patterns476
Equine Husbandry
477
Physiology and Pathology
and Procedures488
Commonly Used Equine Slang
491
Abbreviations492

Exercises493
Review Tables
495

Chapter 16
Ruminants497
Cattle497
Sheep507
Goats510
Camelids513
Commonly Used Cattle

Slang514
Abbreviations515
Exercises515
Review Table
519

Chapter 17
Swine521
Anatomy521
Age and Sex
522
Husbandry523
Pathology and Procedures
526
Abbreviations528
Exercises528
Review Table
529

Chapter 18
Exotics531
Avian531
Reptiles544
Amphibians545
Amphibian and Reptile
Terminology546
Exercises549

Chapter 19
Laboratory Animals


551

Rodents551
Ferrets557
Rabbits561
Professional Organizations
and Laws564

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xContents

Related Terms
565
Abbreviations566
Exercises567
Review Table
568

Chapter 20
Case Studies

569

Case Study 1: 93‐pound
Labrador Mix
569
Case Study 2: Emma, four‐year‐

old Golden Retriever
571
Case Study 3: Mare About
to Foal573
Case Study 4: Teddy, 11‐year‐old
Pembroke Welsh Corgi
573
Case Study 5: Greta, 1½‐year‐
old Golden Retriever
574
Case Study 6: Jewel, 13‐year‐
old DSH
576
Case Study 7: Chuck, 10‐year‐old
Maine Coon
577
Case Study 8: Fledge, one‐year‐
old Retriever Mix
578
Case Study 9: Quesi, 13‐year‐
old DLH
580

Case Study 10: Sparkle,
12‐year‐old Shetland Sheepdog 581
Case Study 11: Dante, four‐
year‐old Rough Collie
582
Case Study 12: Luke, two‐
year‐old Black Labrador

Retriever584
Case Study 13: Tiger, six‐year‐
old DSH
586
Case Study 14: Punkin, 12‐week‐
old DMH
587
Case Study 15: Belle, eight‐year‐
old Great Pyrenees
588
Case Study 16: Macadamia,
four‐year‐old Poodle Mix
589
Appendix A: Pronunciation
and Spelling of Terms Found
in this Book
Appendix B: Commonly Used
Veterinary Medical
Abbreviations
Recommended Reading
Glossary
Answers
Index

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591
615
623
625

675
707


Preface

I am honored to be writing a second edition to Veterinary Medical Terminology Guide
and Workbook. When I wrote the first edition, my hope was to provide a medical
terminology workbook that explained the terms in a simplistic way so that readers
from all backgrounds and levels of education might find it useful. To be asked to write
a new edition tells me that the students enjoy it.
Having received feedback from many students and instructors, I decided to add a
new chapter to this edition. A favorite among readers has been the small case studies at
the end of each chapter that allow the reader to apply the terms. Because of this, I asked
veterinarians and technicians if they would like to contribute a case from their practice
that may be used to help others learn. Chapter 20 has taken some of these cases, changed
the human names involved, and put them into a story for the reader to apply their
knowledge.
Also new to this edition are word searches available on the website and an expanded
audio library containing the pronunciation of the majority of the terms in the book.
Just click on the term and you can listen to how it is pronounced. This is a very useful
tool when trying to remember how to spell the terms. Proper pronunciation of medical
terms is essential for communication with others in the veterinary field. I’d like to thank
Wiley‐Blackwell for allowing me to make this extensive library for the readers.
Areas of challenge for new students include the large animals. To aid the reader, I’ve
expanded the large animal chapters to include commonly used slang in practice and a
section on equine coat colors.
When asked to write this new edition, the first thing I wanted to do was to add more
images to the book. Images can help with memorization and the reader can see the
terms as they are applied in practice. While my personal library of images was vast,

I still found myself in desperate need of images. I took to social media asking for images
and case study ideas and was amazed at the feedback that I received. I’m always telling
my students that the veterinary field is a tight‐knit community. We are always helping
and learning from one another. I received images from my graduates, their contacts, and
additional people whom I had never met. I continue to meet amazing people while
working on this project and I know I have made friends that will last a lifetime.
The key to medical terminology is finding which memorization skills work best for
you. Repetition is a key study skill when memorizing these terms and definitions. To
assist with this, I’ve added blank tables at the end of each chapter for the reader to fill
in and practice what they’ve learned. I encourage my students to download these tables
and utilize them daily to see how much they’re able to fill in without referring to their

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xiiPreface

notes. Because a part of learning medical terminology is also learning basic anatomy
and physiology, I’ve included blank versions of the many diagrams found in this book
so that the student may practice their anatomy.
I would like to thank the newest contributors of my book including Lanie Maes, Kari
Walker, Lauren Minner, Kim Sykes, Judy Daniels, Amy Johnson, Alisha Coombe, Linda
Coombe, Dan Coombe, Danielle Ritter, Holly Jensen, Jennifer Gunter, Christine
Gilbreath, Ethan Heritage, Sarah Goos, Lindsey Towery, Steven Shimer, Lindsey Steele,
Donna Tunis, Stacy Fowler, Heather Hyatt, Judy Zane, Kimberly Perkovich, Diane
Tonmanikout, Sam Patterson, Sam Grebe, Jennifer Tabor, Dr. Sharyn Esposito, Jeanette Nash,
Nora Vanatta, Chynel Dobbs, Beth Romano, Dr. Alison Traylor, Kayden Najera, Megan
Dyer, Giselle Trujillo, Brittany Lindstrom, Katy Echeagaray, Dr. Bobbi Hafer, Cristina
Montemayor, Kyana Silvia, Brian Lowery, Elsa Morales, Katie VanWinkle, Kristina
Gutt, Rela Goodwin, Candace Cotter, Andrea Provenzano, Anna Morse, Pamela

Danielson, Stephanie Hunt, Stacy Dietrich, Annie McCabe, Erin Gregory, Wendy White,
Amanda Counterman, Stephanie Berg, Amanda Baca, Kristina Vigil, Shannen Casados,
Annette Temple, Kylee Jewel, Brittany Carnes, Elizabeth Wallace, Dr. Carole C. Miller,
Sara Sharp, Rose‐Ann Gillespie, Sarah Liechty, Kailey Adams, Tom Shaw, Megan
Dujardin, Jennifer Poehlman, and Heather McAndrews.
I am grateful to my previous contributors including Dr. Greg Martinez, Irene Chou,
Deanna Roberts, Dr. Patrick Hemming, Tammy Schneider, Dr. Debra Van Houten, Gina
Stonier, Janet King, Michaela Witcher, Scott Newman, Cyndi Rideout, Amy Perez, Jan
Lyons‐Barnett, and Jessie Loberg. Not all of these people contributed images. Instead
they contributed to my knowledge.
At the beginning of each school term, I encourage my students to work at an animal
hospital or shelter. This helps the students to see these various terms applied and it
encourages repetition by performing some of the tasks. I have now been in the veterinary field for over 30 years and while I learned much in school, I feel the knowledge I
gained working in practice was invaluable. The veterinarians and technicians that I
worked with walk on water in my mind. They opened up a wealth of knowledge for me
and made learning much easier while in school. To my former coworkers from VCA
Wingate Animal Hospital including Dr. Sam Mersfelder, Dr. Earl Wenngren, Dr. Debra
Singleton, Dr. Donna Anglin, and Beverly Gollehon, you changed my life all those years
ago. You will always be my family. You were patient and encouraging with me and y’all
taught me how best to succeed in this field and in life. I will forever be grateful for all
that you did for me.
Finally, I would like to thank my students and readers. You have probably been told
by your instructors or coworkers that because you’re in a medical field, you will forever
be learning. You will read journal articles, attend continuing education conferences,
and listen to speakers from companies that visit your clinic. I have discovered that I am
also continuing to learn from you all. The feedback that I receive and the variety of
people and personalities that I meet keep me on my feet. I’m always listening and
discovering new and better ways to teach. My goal is that in the future, I can continue
to expand and share this knowledge with the reader.


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About the Companion Website

This book is accompanied by a companion website:
www.wiley.com/go/taibo/veterinary
The website includes:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

A crossword puzzle
Flashcards
Audio clips to show how to pronounce terms
Case studies
Review questions
The figures from each chapter in PowerPoint
Unlabeled diagrams for anatomy practice
Word search puzzles

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C h a p t e r

1

Introduction

Understanding the language of medicine
is basic to comprehension and com­petency
in the world of veterinary ­
medicine.
Medical terms are often heard on various
television shows and movies and are seen
in novels. What you may not realize is that
these medical terms  are  variations of
Greek and Latin terminology.
When we see medical terms, we should
look at them differently from other words
in the English language. Your task in
learning medical terminology is to break
these big words into smaller components,
understand the meaning of those compo­
nents, and then create an overall defini­
tion for the medical term.
Basic knowledge of anatomy and physi­
ology is essential for the understanding
of  these medical terms. Therefore, this
textbook will use various diagrams and
­

photographs to help you to learn this
new language. This book will not go into
further detail other than the basics. You
must learn medical terminology before
focusing on more complicated curriculum.
Ultimately the use of proper medical
terminology is key to a professional
work  environment. Proper spelling and
pronunciation of medical terms is essential
for communication with the professional
staff as well as clients.

Anatomy of a Medical Term
There are five components to medical terms.
Typically, a medical term will use two or
three of these components. There is no rule
that states how many parts a medical term
must use. Your goal is to break down a
medical term into its component parts, then
define each part separately. These compo­
nents were derived from Greek or Latin, so
when defining these parts, we are in essence
translating them to the English language.
This book does not nearly cover all the
medical terms that have ever existed.
Instead, it will prepare you for any terms
that you may encounter by teaching you
how to translate their component parts.

The Root

The root is the foundation of the term. It is
the basic essential part of the word that
other words are derived from. Think of it
as the root of a tree. Like the roots of a tree
holding it in place, the root of a medical
term holds the main meaning of the word.
You are probably already familiar with
some roots of medical terms that you’ve
heard from friends, family, and television
shows. The following are examples of roots:

Veterinary Medical Terminology Guide and Workbook, Second Edition. Angela Taibo.
© 2019 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Published 2019 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Companion website: www.wiley.com/go/taibo/veterinary

1

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2

Root
Cardi
Hemat
Dermat
Gastr
Enter

Veterinary Medical Terminology Guide and Workbook


Meaning
= Heart
= Blood
= Skin
= Stomach
= Small intestine

Example of Use
Cardiology
Hematology
Dermatology
Gastrology
Enterology

Study of the heart
Study of blood
Study of skin
Study of the stomach
Study of the small intestine

The Combining Vowel
The combining vowel is a vowel that is used to link the root to its suffix. In most cases it
is the letter “o.” The combining vowel has no meaning and therefore will not alter the
meaning of the term. The ­following is an example of how the combining vowel is used:
HEMAT/O/LOGY
Root

Suffix
Combining vowel


Notice that in order to attach the root “Hemat” to the suffix “‐logy,” we must use a
combining vowel. In this case it is the letter “o.”

The Combining Form
The combining form is the root plus its combining vowel. The meaning of the root is
not altered by adding the combining vowel. Let’s use roots from previous examples:
Combining Form
Cardi/o
Hemat/o
Dermat/o
Gastr/o
Enter/o

Meaning
= Heart
= Blood
= Skin
= Stomach
= Small intestine

The Prefix
The prefix precedes the root (comes before the root) and modifies its meaning. Not all
terms will have a prefix.
Prefix
Sub‐
Epi‐
Trans‐

Meaning

Below
Above
Across

Example of Use
Subgastric
Epigastric
Transgastric

Pertaining to below the stomach
Pertaining to above the stomach
Pertaining to across the stomach

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Chapter 1 Introduction

3

The Suffix
The suffix follows the root and modifies its meaning.
Suffix
‐ic
‐logy
‐itis

Meaning
Pertaining to
Study of

Inflammation

Example of Use
Gastric
Hematology
Enteritis

Now we need to combine these parts.
Because the suffix “‐ic” begins with a
vowel, then we must drop the combining
vowel in the combining form gastr/o.
Therefore, we drop the letter “o.”

TECH TIP 1.1  If you need a quick
reference for word parts and definitions,
check out the glossary in the back of this
book.

GASTR/ O



Five Rules to Medical
Terminology

­IC

GASTRIC

In the second example we look at

the definition “study of the stomach.”

There are five basic rules to medical termi­
nology. If you can remember these rules
then understanding the terms and their
meanings will be much easier.
1. If a suffix begins with a vowel, drop
the combining vowel. The following
are two different examples to illus­
trate this rule. In the first example,
we’ll come up with the medical term
that means “pertaining to the
stomach.” If you refer to the previous
examples under their word parts
you’ll see that the suffix for “pertain­
ing to” is “‐ic,” and the combining
form for stomach is “gastr/o.”



Pertaining to the stomach
Study of blood
Inflammation of the small intestine

Gastr/o Stomach
­logy Study of



Because the suffix does not begin

with a vowel, we can keep the
combining vowel.
GASTR/O ­LOGY

GASTROLOGY

2. Read the parts to define the term from
back, then to the beginning, and
follow through. You have probably
noticed by now that when we define a
medical term, we begin at the suffix,
then look at the beginning of the term,
and follow through. The following is
an example of this rule:

Gastr/o Stomach
­ic Pertaining to

SUBGASTRIC

=

SUB/GASTR/IC

Prefix (Below)

Suffix (Pertaining to)
Combining form (Stomach)

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4

Veterinary Medical Terminology Guide and Workbook

Define the suffix, followed by the
prefix, and then follow through.
SUBGASTRIC


PERTAINING
TO BELOW
THE STOMACH

Not all medical terms will use this
rule; however, the rule will apply 90%
of the time.
3. Keep the combining vowel between
roots. Some medical terms have more
than one root. When attaching roots
together we leave the combining
vowel between them.


GASTR/O/ENTER/O/LOGY
In this example we have combined
the combining forms “gastr/o” for

the term enterogastrology because the

intestines are not before the stomach.
If you’re asking how I know this,
don’t worry, this textbook will teach
you basic anatomy so you will also
know how to place certain roots in
anatomical order.
5. Not all terms break down exactly.
This rule – knowing when to define a
medical term literally or use a “spe­
cial” definition – can be the most frus­
trating for students. Unfortunately,
this knowledge only comes with prac­
tice and memorization. You will
notice that common sense will become
useful with some of these terms. To
illustrate this rule, we will look at the
term “orthopedic.”
ORTH/O/PED/IC



GASTR/O/ENTER/O/LOGY
Study of

Stomach
Small intestines
stomach and “enter/o” for small
intestine. Because we have two roots in
the term, “gastr” and “enter,” we must
leave the combining vowel between

them. In this case it’s the letter “o.”
Using our previous rule of how to
break down a medical term we get the
following:
Definition: Study of the stomach
and small intestines.
4. List the roots in anatomical order. By
now you’ve already used this rule
without even realizing it. If we look at
the previous term, gastroenterology,
the roots are listed in ­
anatomical
order. The stomach comes before the
small intestines in the order of the
organs of the gastrointestinal (GI)
tract. It wouldn’t make sense to have

You or a friend may have been
seen  by an orthopedic surgeon or
orthopedic specialist. Usually people
associate this term with bones and
joints. However, if you break the term
down literally, that doesn’t make
sense.
Word Part
Orth/o
Ped/o
‐ic

Meaning

Straight
Child
Pertaining to

If using the basic rules of medical
terminology to define this term, then
the definition would be “pertaining to
a straight child.” It is for this reason
that we must create special definitions
for certain terms.

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Chapter 1 Introduction

5

Study Tips
Understanding
medical
terminology
comes down to memorization. You must
find the study technique that works best
for you. Memorizing the component parts
and their definitions is essential to under­
standing and defining medical terms.
Techniques that may help with memoriza­
tion include:
• Writing the combining forms, suffixes,

and prefixes on one side of a page and
then their definitions on the other side.
Repetition is the key. Also try to write
out definitions first and then come up
with the combining forms, prefixes, and
suffixes. Learn the terms both ways.
• Make up flashcards with the com­
ponent parts on one side and their
meaning on the other side. By the end
of this textbook, your pile of note cards
will probably be more than 6 feet tall.
• Write and speak the terms over and
over again.
• Learn the pronunciation of the terms.
You can use the textbook website,
which offers a list of the terms in this
book and enables you to listen to how
they are pronounced, or refer to the
pronunciation sections in Appendix A.
Sound out the terms.
• Conduct group studies, which work
well for subjects like medical terminol­
ogy. Bring a dry‐erase board to the study
group and write the terms or definitions
on the board, one at a time. The members
of the group can say their answers and
how they remembered them. Hearing
classmates use these terms helps you to
remember them. Memorization is both
a visual and audio technique.

• Relate the terms to a specific body part or
body function. Whether you use this tech­
nique while thinking of your pet’s body
or even your own, it can be quite useful.
• Ask for help. Students don’t do this
enough. I realize that this subject can
be overwhelming and some of you may
be afraid to ask for help. The sooner

•
•
•

•
•

you ask someone for help, the easier
your learning experience will be. If you
fail to ask then you will feel as if you’re
drowning halfway through the book.
Use the review exercises at the end of
each chapter.
Make up your own terms using the
component parts you’ve already
learned.
Create your own review exercises and
mock quizzes. This can be a very use­
ful tool when working in study groups.
It’s also a useful tool to prevent test
anxiety.

Make multiple copies of the work­
book pages and then each day, try to
fill them in.
If you aren’t already working in a practice
or shelter, try volunteering or working
part‐time at one. Hearing and  seeing
these terms used on a con­sistent basis
can help with ­memorization.

Building the Terms
Combining Forms
For combining forms with multiple mean­
ings, the context in which the term is used
determines which definition to choose
(Table 1.1).

Prefixes
Prefixes alter the meaning of the term. For
prefixes with multiple meanings, the
combining form the prefix is attached to
determines which meaning to use
(Table 1.2).

Suffixes
Suffixes also alter the meaning of the
term. For suffixes with multiple meanings,
the combining form the suffix is attached
to determine which meaning to use
(Table 1.3).


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6

Veterinary Medical Terminology Guide and Workbook

Table 1.1  Combining forms.

Combining Forms

Definition

Combining Forms

Definition

Arthr/o

Joint

Hemat/o

Blood

Bi/o

Life

Hepat/o


Liver

Carcin/o

Cancer

Hist/o

Tissue

Cardi/o

Heart

Iatr/o

Treatment

Cephal/o

Head

Leuk/o

White

Cis/o

To cut


Nephr/o

Kidney

Col/o; Colon/o

Large intestine (colon)

Neur/o

Nerve

Cyst/o

Urinary bladder; cyst

Ophthalm/o

Eye

Cyt/o

Cell

Opt/o

Eye; vision

Derm/o


Skin

Oste/o

Bone

Dermat/o

Skin

Path/o

Disease

Electr/o

Electricity

Radi/o

X‐rays

Encephal/o

Brain

Ren/o

Kidney


Enter/o

Small intestine

Rhin/o

Nose

Erythr/o

Red

Sarc/o

Connective tissue

Gastr/o

Stomach

Sect/o

To cut

Glyc/o

Sugar

Thromb/o


Clot; clotting

Gnos/o

Knowledge

Ur/o

Urine; urinary tract

Hem/o

Blood

TECH TIP 1.2  Do you know when to use Ren/o vs. Nephr/o? Ren/o may only be used with
the suffix ‐al. Nephr/o can be used with a variety of suffixes to describe a condition (usually
abnormal) of the kidney.

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Chapter 1 Introduction

7

Table 1.2  Prefixes.

Prefix


Definition

Prefix

Definition

a‐, an‐

no; not; without

in‐

in; into; not

brachy‐

short

intra‐

within; into

dia‐

through; complete

meso‐

middle


dolicho‐

long

pro‐

before; forward

endo‐

in; within

re‐

back; again; backward

epi‐

above; upon; on

retro‐

behind; back; backward

ex‐, exo‐

out; away from

sub‐


under; below

extra‐

outside

trans‐

across; through

hyper‐

above; excessive

hypo‐

deficient; below; under; less
than normal

Suffix

Definition

‐ac, ‐al, ‐ic, ‐ical pertaining to

‐ion

process

‐algia


pain

‐ist

specialist

‐centesis

surgical puncture to
remove fluid or gas

‐itis

inflammation

‐logy

study of

‐cyte

cell

‐oma

‐cytosis

increase in cell number


tumor; mass; fluid
collection

‐drome

to run

‐opsy

view of

‐ectomy

removal; excision;
resection

‐osis

abnormal condition

‐pathy

‐emia

blood condition

disease condition;
emotion

‐emic


pertaining to a blood
condition

‐scope

instrument for visual
examination

‐genic

produced by or in

‐scopy

visual examination

‐gram

record

‐sis

state of; condition

‐graph

instrument for recording

‐tomy


‐graphy

process of recording

incision; process of
cutting into

Table 1.3  Suffixes.

Suffix

Definition

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8

Veterinary Medical Terminology Guide and Workbook

TECH TIP 1.3  Be Careful with “‐genic”!
Normally this suffix is defined as “produced
by” or “produced in.” However, when
attached to the combining forms Carcin/o
and Path/o, rule 5 comes into play. We
define ‐genic as “produces” or “producing.”

Parts
Arthr/o

Arthr/o
Arthr/o
Arthr/o
Arthr/o
Arthr/o
Arthr/o
Arthr/o
Arthr/o

+ ‐ectomy
+ ‐itis
+ ‐centesis
+ ‐logy
+ ‐pathy
+ ‐scope
+ ‐scopy
+ ‐osis
+ ‐tomy

Bi/o
Bi/o
Bi/o
Carcin/o
Cardi/o
Cardi/o
Cardi/o
intra‐
retro‐
Cephal/o
ex‐

in‐
Col/o
Colon/o
Col/o
Colon/o
Colon/o
Colon/o
Colon/o
Cyst/o
Cyst/o
Cyst/o
Cyst/o

+ ‐logy
+ ‐logy
+ ‐logy
+ ‐genic
+ ‐ac
+ ‐logy
+ ‐pathy
+ Cardi/o
+ Cardi/o
+ ‐ic
+ Cis/o
+ Cis/o
+ ‐ectomy
+ ‐ectomy
+ ‐itis
+ ‐itis
+ ‐ic

+ ‐pathy
+ ‐scopy
+ ‐algia
+ ‐ectomy
+ ‐itis
+ ‐centesis

Now it’s time to put these word parts
together. If you memorize the meaning of
the combining forms, prefixes, and suf­
fixes, then this will get easier each time.
Remember your five basic rules to medical
terminology when building and defining
these terms.

Medical Term
= Arthrectomy
= Arthritis
= Arthrocentesis
= Arthrology
= Arthropathy
= Arthroscope
= Arthroscopy
= Arthrosis
= Arthrotomy

+ ‐ical
+ ‐ist

+ ‐ac

+ ‐ac
+ ‐ion
+ ‐ion

= Biological
= Biologist
= Biology
= Carcinogenic
= Cardiac
= Cardiology
= Cardiopathy
= Intracardiac
= Retrocardiac
= Cephalic
= Excision
= Incision
= Colectomy
= Colonectomy
= Colitis
= Colonitis
= Colonic
= Colonopathy
= Colonoscopy
= Cystalgia
= Cystectomy
= Cystitis
= Cystocentesis
(Figure 1.1)

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Definition

:_______________
: _______________
: _______________
: _______________
: _______________
: _______________
: _______________
: _______________
: _______________
Notice that the combining
vowel was dropped with
the suffix “‐osis,” but kept
with the suffix “‐tomy.”
: _______________
: _______________
: _______________
: _______________
: _______________
: _______________
: _______________
: _______________
: _______________
: _______________
: _______________
: _______________
: _______________
: _______________

: _______________
: _______________
: _______________
: _______________
: _______________
: _______________
: _______________
: _______________
: _______________


Chapter 1 Introduction

9

Figure 1.1  Cystocentesis on a cat. Source: Courtesy of Greg Martinez DVM; />drgregdvm.

Cyst/o
Cyst/o
Cyt/o
Cyt/o
Dermat/o
Dermat/o
Derm/o
hypo‐
intra‐
Electr/o
Electr/o
Electr/o
Encephal/o

Encephal/o
Encephal/o
Encephal/o
Endo‐
Endo‐

+ ‐gram
+ ‐tomy
+ ‐logy
+ ‐logy
+ ‐itis
+ ‐logy
+ ‐al
+ Derm/o
+ Derm/o
+ Cardi/o
+ Cardi/o
+ Encephal/o
+ ‐ic
+ ‐itis
+ ‐gram
+ ‐graphy
+ ‐scope
+ ‐scopy

Enter/o
Enter/o
Enter/o
Enter/o
Erythr/o

Erythr/o

+ ‐ic
+ ‐itis
+ ‐logy
+ ‐pathy
+ ‐cyte
+ ‐cytosis

Gastr/o
Gastr/o
Gastr/o
Gastr/o

+ ‐ectomy
+ ‐ic
+ ‐itis
+ ‐tomy

+ ‐ical

+ ‐ic
+ ‐al
+ ‐gram
+ ‐graphy
+ ‐gram

= Cystogram
: _______________
= Cystotomy

: _______________
= Cytology
: _______________
= Cytological
: _______________
= Dermatitis
: _______________
= Dermatology
: _______________
= Dermal
: _______________
= Hypodermic
: _______________
= Intradermal
: _______________
= Electrocardiogram
: _______________
= Electrocardiography : _______________
= Electroencephalogram : _______________
= Encephalic
: _______________
= Encephalitis
: _______________
= Encephalogram
: _______________
= Encephalography
: _______________
= Endoscope
: _______________
= Endoscopy

: _______________
(Figure 1.2)
= Enteric
: _______________
= Enteritis
: _______________
= Enterology
: _______________
= Enteropathy
: _______________
= Erythrocyte
: _______________
= Erythrocytosis
: _______________
This condition is also
known as polycythemia.
= Gastrectomy
: _______________
= Gastric
: _______________
= Gastritis
: _______________
= Gastrotomy
: _______________

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