The following flashcard set contains medical prefixes that describe the quantity or number of medical terms.
#1 bi-
#2 cent(i)-
The medical prefix term cent(i)- means "hundred".
Example Word: cent(i)/grade
Word Breakdown: Cent(i)- is a prefix that means "hundred", grade refers to "degree" or "rating".
Definition: Centigrade temperature scale in which the freezing point of water is 0° and its boiling point is 100° at standard atmospheric pressure.
#3 dec(a)- or dec(i)-
The medical prefix term dec(a)- or dec(i)- means "ten".
Example Word: dec(i)/bel
Word Breakdown: Dec(i)- is a prefix that means "ten", bel refers to a unit of comparison for communication power or sound intensity.
Definition: Decibels are units of measurement of sound intensity that are one tenth of a bel on the logarithmic scale.
#4 di-
#5 dipl(o)-
#6 hapl(o)-
The medical prefix term hapl(o)- means "one" or "single".
Example Word: hapl/oid
Word Breakdown: Hapl- is a prefix that means "single", -oid is a suffix that means "resembling".
Definition: The term haploid refers to a cell that contains only one set of unpaired chromosomes, such as an egg or sperm.
#7 hemi-
The medical prefix term hemi- means "half" or "partial".
Example Word:Â hemi/sphere
Word Breakdown: hemi- is a prefix that means "half or partial", the word root sphere refers to "an object shaped like a ball (like the moon)".
Definition: The cerebral hemisphere consists of the right and left halves of the cerebrum.
More Examples of Medical Terms Starting with Hemi-
Hemiplegia: hemi- ( "half" or "partial") + -plegia ( "paralysis")
Definition: Paralysis affecting one side of the body, typically caused by a stroke or brain injury.
Hemiparesis: hemi- ( "half" or "partial") + -paresis ( "weakness")
Definition: Weakness affecting one side of the body, typically caused by a stroke or brain injury.
Hemianopia: hemi- ( "half" or "partial") + an- ("without") + -opia ("sight" or "vision")
Definition: Blindness in one half of the visual field, typically caused by a brain injury or disease.
Hemihypertrophy: hemi- ("half" or "partial") + hyper- ("excessive" or "increase") + -trophy ("growth" or "development")
Definition: Enlargement of one side of the body, typically caused by a congenital condition or injury.
Hemiatrophy: hemi- ( "half" or "partial") + -atrophy ( "wasting away")
Definition: Wasting away of one side of the body, typically caused by a congenital condition or injury.
Hemisensory: hemi- ( "half" or "partial") + sens ("senses") + -ory ("related to")
Definition: Pertaining to sensation in one half of the body, typically caused by a brain injury or disease.
Hemiataxia: hemi- ( "half" or "partial") + ataxia ( "uncoordination")
Definition: Uncoordination affecting one side of the body, typically caused by a brain injury or disease.
#8 hept(a)-
#9 hex(a)-
The medical prefix term hex(a)- means "six".
Example Word: hex(a)/hydr/ate
Word Breakdown: Hex(a)- is a prefix that means "six", hydr is a word root that refers to "water" and -ate is a suffix that means "become".
Definition: The hexahydrate is a chemical compound that consists of six molecules of water.
#10 milli-
The medical prefix term milli- means "thousand".
Example Word: milli/calor/i/e
Word Breakdown: Milli- pertains to "thousand", calor/i is a combining form that means "heat", and -e is a suffix that is used to form nouns.
Definition: Millicalorie is one thousandth of a calorie (a unit of energy or heat).
#11 mon(o)-
#12 multi-
#13 nona-, noni-
#14 nulli-
#15 oct(o)-, oct(a)-
#16 pent(a)-
#17 poly-
#18 prim(i)-
#19 quadr(i)-
#20 semi-
The medical prefix term semi- means "half" or "partial".
Example Word: semi/solid
Word Breakdown: semi- is a prefix that means "half or partial", the word solid is a substance with a definite shape and volume.
Definition: A semisolid is characterized by properties that are halfway between those of a solid and those of a liquid.
#21 tetr(a)-
#22 tri-
The medical prefix term tri- means "three".
Example Word: tri/cuspid
Word Breakdown: Tri- is a prefix that means "three", cuspid is a triangular flap of a heart valve.
Definition: Three cusps make up the tricuspid valve, which prevents the backflow of blood from the right ventricle into the right atrium.