oste/o
bone
From Greek osteon, bone
Meaning
What does oste/o mean?
oste/o is a root meaning bone. It comes from Greek osteon, bone.
Inside words it is spelled ost or oste.
Before -osis it shortens to ost (exostosis); don't confuse it with -ostomy, a surgical opening.
In real words
Medical words with oste/o
osteoarthritis
the most common type of arthritis, in which the cartilage covering the ends of bones in a joint breaks down
infection and inflammation of bone, which may spread to the bone marrow
osteomalacia
softening of the bones in adults, usually from too little vitamin D, calcium or phosphorus
lower than normal bone mineral density, a milder form of bone loss than osteoporosis
osteogenesis
the development and formation of bone
a bony outgrowth from the surface of a bone or from the root of a tooth
death of bone tissue caused by loss of its blood supply
osteodystrophy
abnormal bone growth and weakening, as in renal osteodystrophy, a bone disease of chronic kidney disease
Don't mix it up
Parts easily confused with oste/o
In the dictionary
More terms built with it
Terms in our life science dictionary that list oste/o among their word parts.
Sources
Checked against
Written for biofideX in plain words, after checking these references:
- Word Parts and Structural Terms – Medical Terminology: An Interactive Approach
- 13.1 – Introduction to the Skeletal System – Building a Medical Terminology Foundation 2e
- OSTEO- Definition & Meaning | Dictionary.com
- OSTOSIS Definition & Meaning | Dictionary.com
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Bones, joints and muscles
oste/o is one of 12 parts in this lesson. Learn them together, then take real words apart.
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