Veterinary Terminology

Prefix

Form

• Take out a sheet of paper and define the following: – Anemia- – Dyspnea-– Leukemia-– Carcinoma-– Ophthalm/o-

History

2

• Most of the terms used in veterinary medicine are based on Latin or Greek– Latin=universal language of medicine–Greeks=founders of modern medicine– terminology can be confusing unless

you have the tools to decipher it. So….

Building Blocks

• Prefix–modifies the meaning of the word

it is attached to– located at the beginning of a word–Examples: Poly-, De-, Anti-, Post•Handout 1, Handout 4

Building Blocks

• Suffix–modifies the meaning of the word

it is attached to– located at the end of a word–Examples: -itis, -ology, -lysis•Handout 2, Handout 5

Building Blocks• Root– foundation of a word–Adding a prefix or a suffix to the root

modifies its meaning–Roots can be combined with other roots or a

suffix by adding a combining form…• Examples: Cardi/o, Nas/o–Handout 3, Handout 6

Building Blocks

• Combining Form–vowel that is used to connect roots to

other roots or to a suffix–usually an “O” but can be “A”, “E”,

or an “I” –make the term easier to pronounce–Not always used

A-, an-

• Without, lack of, not• Anemia- lack of

blood• Asymptomatic:

without symptoms

Anti-

• Against, opposing• Antibiotic:

against microbial life

Brady-

• Abnormally slow• Bradycardia:

abnormally slow heart rate

De-

• Down, from• Dehydrate:

remove water from• Decay: break

down or decline of health

Dys-

• Difficulty• Dyspnea:

difficulty breathing

Hyper-

• Excessive, abnormally high• Hyperthermia:

abnormally high body temperature

Hypo-

• Insufficient, abnormally low• Hypothermia:

abnormally low body temperature

Mal-

• Bad, poor• Malocclusion:

poor positioning of the teeth

Poly-

• Many, much, multiple• Polyuria:

producing much urine

Tachy-

• Abnormally fast• Tachycardia:

abnormally fast heart rate

-cyte• Cell• Erythrocyte:

red blood cell

-ectomy• To surgically

remove• Lobectomy: to

surgically remove a lobe

-emia• Blood condition• Leukemia:

malignant blood disease

-pnea• Breathing• Tachypnea:

abnormally fast breathing

-itis• Inflammation• Arthritis:

inflammation of the joints

-ology• Study of• Biology: the

study of life

-oma• Tumor• Carcinoma:

cancerous tumor

-penia• Deficiency of• Leukopenia:

deficiency of white blood cells

-scope• Instrument for

examining• Microscope:

instrument for examining minute objects

-tomy• Cutting, incision• Cystotomy:

cutting into the urinary bladder

Cardio-

Cephal/o

Dent/i, dent/o

Mamm/a, mamm/o

Nas/o

Ophthalm/o

Ot/o

Steth/o

Thorac/o

Trache/o