Medical Terminology Letter P
Medical Terminology Letter P
| TERM |
MEANING |
| pachy- |
thick |
| -pagus |
conjoined twins |
| palat/o |
palate |
| pale/o |
old |
| palin-, pali- |
recurrence, repetition |
| palliat/o |
soothe, relieve |
| palp/o, palpat/o |
to touch gently |
| pan- |
all |
| pancreat/o |
pancreas |
| pant/o |
all, whole |
| -papa, parous |
to bear, bring forth |
| papill/o |
nipple-like, papilla |
| papul/o |
papule, pimple |
| para- |
alongside, near, beyond, abnormal |
| parasit/o |
parasite |
| parathyroid/o |
parathyroid |
| -paresis |
partial paralysis |
| -partum |
childbirth, labor |
| patell/o |
patella |
| path/o |
disease |
| -pause |
cessation |
| pector/o |
chest |
| pedicul/o |
louse |
| ped/o |
foot, child |
| pel/o |
mud |
| pelv/i |
pelvis |
| -penia |
deficiency |
| pent-, penta- |
five |
| -pepsia |
digestion |
| per- |
through, throughout |
| percuss/o |
to tap |
| peri- |
around, surrounding |
| perine/o |
perineum |
| peritone/o |
peritoneum |
| per/o |
deformed, maimed |
| perone/o |
fibula |
| perspir/o |
breathe through |
| pest/i |
plague, pests |
| peta- |
quadrillion (10¹⁵) |
| -petal |
moving toward, seeking |
| petr/o |
stone, petrous region of temporal bone |
| -pexy |
fixation |
| phac/o |
lens |
| phag/o, -phagia |
eating, ingestion |
| phak/o |
lens |
| phalang/o |
phalanges |
| phall/o |
penis |
| phaner/o |
visible, apparent |
| pharmac/o |
drugs |
| phas/o, -phasia |
speech |
| phen/o |
appearance |
| phe/o |
dusky |
| -pheresis |
removal |
| -phil, -philia |
affinity for, tendency towards |
| phim/o |
muzzle |
| phleb/o |
vein |
| -phob/o |
fear, aversion |
| phon/o, -phonia |
voice, sound |
| -phore, phor/o |
bearer, processor |
| -phoresis |
bearing, transmission |
| phosphat/o |
phosphate |
| phot/o |
light |
| phren/o |
mind, diaphragm |
| phyc/o |
seaweed, algae |
| -phylaxis |
protection |
| phyll/o |
leaf, leaf-like |
| phyl/o |
race, species, type |
| -phyma |
tumor, growth |
| physic/o |
physical, natural |
| physi/o |
nature |
| -physis |
growth, growing |
| phys/o |
air, gas |
| phyt/o, -phyte |
plant |
| pico- |
one trillionth (10⁻¹²) |
| picr/o |
bitter |
| piez/o, pies/i, -piesis |
pressure |
| pil/o |
hair |
| pimel/o |
fat, fatty |
| pin/o |
to drink |
| pituitar/o |
pituitary gland |
| plagi/o |
slanting, oblique |
| plan/o |
flat, level, wandering |
| plant/o |
sole of the foot |
| -plasm |
formation, growth |
| plasm/o |
plasma, formative substance |
| -plasty |
surgical correction/repair |
| platy- |
broad, flat |
| -plegia |
paralysis |
| ple/o |
more |
| plesi/o |
nearness, similarity |
| pless/i |
striking |
| pleur/o |
pleura |
| plex/o |
network (nerves or vessels), plexus |
| plic/o, plicat/o |
to fold, pleat |
| -ploid, -ploidy |
number of chromosome sets |
| pluri- |
more, several |
| -pnea |
breathe |
| pneum/o |
lung, air |
| pneumon/o |
lung, air |
| pod/o |
foot |
| -poiesis |
formation |
| poikil/o |
variation, irregular |
| poli/o |
gray (matter) |
| poly- |
many, much |
| pon/o |
fatigue, overwork, pain |
| -pore, por/o |
opening, passageway |
| -porosis |
porous, decrease in density |
| posia |
drinking |
| posit/o |
arrangement, place |
| post- |
after, behind |
| poster/o |
behind, towards the back |
| potenti/o |
power, strength |
| -prandial |
meal |
| -praxia |
action, activity |
| pre- |
before, in front of |
| presby- |
aging, elderly |
| primi- |
first |
| -privia |
loss, deprivation |
| pro- |
before |
| proct/o |
rectum, anus |
| pros/o |
forward, anterior |
| prosop/o |
face |
| prostat/o |
prostate gland |
| prote/o |
protein |
| prot/o |
first |
| proxim/o |
near |
| prurit/o |
itching |
| psamm/o |
sand, sand-like material |
| pselaphes/o |
touch |
| pseudo- |
false |
| psor/o |
itching |
| psych/o |
mind |
| psychr/o |
cold |
| -pterygium |
abnormality of the conjunctiva |
| pteryg/o |
wing-shaped |
| -ptosis |
prolapse, drooping |
| -ptysis |
spitting |
| pub/o |
pubis |
| pulmon/o |
lung |
| puls/o, pulsat/o |
to beat, beating |
| -puncture |
to pierce a surface |
| pupill/o |
pupil |
| purgat/o |
cleansing |
| purpur/i |
purple |
| purul/o |
pus formation |
| pyel/o |
renal pelvis |
| pyg/o |
buttocks |
| pykn/o, pycn/o |
thick, dense |
| pyl/e |
portal vein |
| pylor/o |
pylorus |
| py/o |
pus |
| pyret/o |
fever |
| pyrex/o |
feverishness, fever |
| pyr/o |
heat, fire, fever |
| pytal/o |
saliva |
