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Medical TERMINOLOGY

Medical terminology is composed of a prefix, root word, and suffix:
Prefix: A prefix is placed at the beginning of a word to modify or change its meaning. Pre means "before." Prefixes may also indicate a location, number, or time.
Root: central part of a word.
Suffix: The ending part of a word that modifies the meaning of the word.
Additional resources:   [Intro to med terms] [Med terms rules] [Med term reference] [Word building reference]  [Practice Exams]

Alphabetical Listing of Med Terms

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List of med term roots beginning with D

GlobalRPh Medical Terminology Section- Letter D

Prefixes and Suffixes Medical Terminology beginning with D
Word Building Reference [POPULAR REFERENCE]*

Medical terminology is used to precisely describe the human body components, processes, illnesses, medical procedures, and pharmacology. Medical terms are used in the field of medicine, and clinical settings. This section deals with all med terms beginning with the letter D, and features medical roots, prefixes and suffixes. Introduction to Medical Terminology.


Medical Terminology - Letter D 

Quiz yourself / speed learning

 

dacry/o

tear

dacryoaden/o

tear gland

dacryocyst/o

tear sac; lacriman sac

dactyl/o

fingers; toes

de-

lack of; down; less; removal of

dem/o

people

dent/i

tooth

derm/o

skin

-derma

skin

dermat/o

skin

desicc/o

drying

-desis

to bind; tie together

dextr/o

right

dia-

complete; through

diaphor/o

sweat

-dilation

widening; stretching; expanding

dilat/o

to enlarge, expand

dipl/o

double

dips/o

thirst

dis-

apart, to separate

dist/o

far; distant

dolich/o

long

dolor/o

pain

dors/o

back (of body)

dorsi-

back

-dote

to give

-drome

to run

duct/o

to lead; carry

duoden/o

duodenum

dur/o

dura mater

dynam/o

power, strength

-dynia

pain

dys-

bad: painful: difficult: abnormal

 

Word Building and Medical Terms beginning with the letter
D

 


See if you can spot the suffixes, prefixes, and/or root words.

D

 

dacry/o

Prefix denoting tear.

 

dacryoaden/o     

Prefix indicating tear gland.

Dacryoadenitis

Acute or chronic inflammation of the lacrimal gland, which causes pain, edema, and erythema in the superotemporal orbit.

 

dacryocyst/o

Prefix denoting the tear sac or the lacrimal sac.

Dacryocyst

The upper dilated part of the nasolacrimal duct, that serves as a reservoir for the overflow of tears.

Dacryocystitis 

Inflamed lacrimal sac; can be either acute (caused by Staphylococcus and Streptococcus species) or chronic (resulting from the chronic obstruction due to systemic disease or chronic infections).

 

dactyl/o           

Prefix denoting the digits - fingers and toes.

Dactylitis

Puffiness or swelling of an entire digit; can be acute or chronic. Dactylitis is considered an indication of arthritis.

Polydactyly 

Polydactyly or hyperdactyly, an anomaly characterized by one or more extra fingers or toes; it is usually genetic.

 

de-

Prefix denoting without, lack of, down, less, or removal of.

Deficiency 

State of being in short of or lacking something. In medicine, a deficiency is a lack or shortage of vitamins or minerals essential for the body.

 

dem/o    

Prefix denoting people or population.

 

 

dent/i   

Prefix denoting tooth.

Dentistry 

Dentistry, or oral medicine, profession dealing with the diagnosis, prevention, and/or treatment of diseases of the teeth, gum, and oral cavity.

Dentist 

Medical professionals specialized in dentistry.

Denture

A removable replacement for one tooth, several, or all of the teeth; false teeth.

 

derm/o -derma dermat/o  

Prefix denotes skin.

Dermatologist 

The medical expert who specializes in the treatment of skin diseases.

Dermatology

The branch of medicine that studies, diagnoses, and manages any health conditions that may affect the skin, fat hair, nails, and membranes.

Dermatitis  

Dermatitis, also known as eczema, the general term for skin inflammation or the group of ailments that inflame the skin. There are several types of dermatitis, the most common being atopic dermatitis, contact dermatitis, dyshidrotic dermatitis, and seborrheic dermatitis.

 

desicc/o     

Root word to denote drying.

Desiccation

The process of removing moisture; to dry out a substance completely. Desiccation is done in a desiccator, which contains a desiccant (a hygroscopic substance that induces dryness) such as calcium chloride.

Disc Desiccation

Age-related degenerative disc disease; refers to the dehydration of the vertebral discs caused by wear and tear on the spine.

 

-desis  

Suffix denoting binding, tying together, or surgical fusion.

Arthrodesis 

Arthrodesis, also known as artificial ankylosis or syndesis, joint fusion performed to treat arthritis.

dextr/o  

Prefix denoting the right-hand side.

Dextrorotation 

Clockwise rotation or rotation to the right-hand side.

 

dia-    

Root word denoting through, throughout, or complete.

Diachronic 

An event happening over time.

Diagnosis 

The process of identifying the complete nature of an illness

Dialysis 

Thoroughly cleansing the blood of wastes and extra fluid when kidneys fail to do so.

 

diaphor/o      

Prefix denoting sweat.

Diaphoresis 

Excessive or profuse sweating in relation to the body activity and environment. Diaphoresis is associated with sleep apnea, anxiety, pregnancy, menopause, diabetes, or anaphylaxis.

 

dilat/o    

Prefix denoting dilation.

Dilation

The process of widening, stretching, or expansion. In terms of human physiology, dilation is an autonomic process that regulates or controls the passage of fluids and solids within the body.

 

dipl/o  

Combining form denoting "double" or "in pairs".

Diplopia 

Seeing two images of a single object; double vision or amblyopia; caused by misalignment of the visual axes.

 

dips/o    

Prefix denoting thirst or thirsty.

Dipsosis

Abnormally intense thirst, occurring when the water content in the body falls below normal. Any activity that causes perspiration, fever, heat exhaustion, diabetes, vomiting, diarrhea, and diuretics cause dipsosis.

dis- dist/o

Prefix denoting far, distant, or away from.

Distal  

Anatomically, distal refers to parts of the body away from the trunk or center of the body. For example, the wrist joint is distal to the elbow.

 

dolich/o        

Prefix denoting long or narrow.

Dolichocolon

Dolichocolon, or colon elongatum, unusually large and redundant colon.

 

dolor/o  

Denoting dolor, which means physical/mental pain, suffering, or distress. Pain is a signal from the nervous system that something may be wrong with the body.

 

dors/o dorsi-

Prefix denoting the back or posterior. From Latin dorsum. The back, buttocks, calves, and knuckles are examples of the dorsal surfaces in the human body.

 

-drome  

Suffix denoting syndrome; from Greek sundromē meaning to run or together.

A syndrome is a group of recognizable traits or symptoms that tend to occur together and represent a specific disease.

 

 

 

duct/o   

Prefix denoting to lead or carry.

In anatomy and physiology, ducts are drainage pipes that carry biological fluids (blood, bile, and lymph, for example) and neurotransmitters.

 

duoden/o

Denoting duodenum, the first of the three portions of the small intestine. It is a C- or horseshoe-shaped structure curved around the head of the pancreas. Duodenum facilitates the breakdown and absorption of nutrients.

 

dur/o

Indicating dura matter. Dura matter, or pachymeninx, the outermost meningeal layer surrounding the brain and spinal cord.

 

dynam/o   

Prefix denoting power, energy, or strength.

 

-dynia

Suffix denoting pain.

Gastrodynia - Stomach pain; also called gastralgia and stomachalgia.

Otodynia - Ear pain

Cephalodynia - Headache; caused by stress, eyesight problems, poor sleep, hormonal imbalance, or brain trauma.

Colpodynia - Vaginal pain

 

 

dys-  

Prefix denoting pain, difficulty, disorder, or
abnormality
.

Dysuria - pain or burning during or after urination; an indication of urinary tract infection.

Dyspnea - air hunger resulting in breathlessness, sometimes accompanied by chest pain.

Dysplasia - abnormal growth or development of cells, tissues, or organs.

Dystonia - slow repetitive movements or abnormal postures, caused by infections, trauma, or stroke.

Dystrophy - weakness or degeneration of tissue or organ. Muscular dystrophy, for example.

Dysphonia- disordered speech; hoarseness.

Dysentery - a type of gastroenteritis that causes painful, bloody diarrhea.

Dysphagia - the inability to swallow foods, liquids, or even saliva with ease; caused by acid reflux, epiglottis, esophagitis, goiter, mouth cancer, or oesophageal cancer.

Dyspepsia - persistent or recurrent pain in the upper abdomen; also described as indigestion, upset stomach, or gassiness.

Dysmenorrhea - extremely painful menstruation

Dyslexia - difficulty with, or little interest in reading, writing, spelling, and learning,

Dysrhythmia - an abnormal rhythm; especially the electrical activity of the brain or heart.

Dysphoria - a mood disorder characterized by a profound sense of unease, dissatisfaction, or anguish. It’s a symptom associated with anxiety, depression, and substance use disorders.

Dyskinesia - Rapid, involuntary, and uncontrollable movements that can affect either a part of the body, like the extremities, or the entire body.

 

 


Alphabetical Listing of Med Terms

a b c d e f g h i j k l m
n o p q r s t u v w x y z

 

 

Increasing your understanding of medical terminology

Additional references:


Word Building Reference- This resource strengthens your understanding of medical terminology. See how common medical terms are created using the various prefixes, suffixes, and root words.


Medical Terminology Intuitive Section hot-anim This section was developed for 'speed learning' of medical terminology. Start by reviewing the meanings for a block of medical terms, and then go back and choose a previous term randomly and try to recall the meaning of that particular medical term before hovering over the term to determine the answer. These frequent mini-tests will accelerate the learning process and in a relatively short period of time, you will be able to quickly recall the meaning of all of the listed medical terms. This method of learning is superior to flash cards because of the frequent exposure and testing of your recall.


 

 

 

List of med term roots beginning with D

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