spir/o
breathe, breathing
From Latin spirare, to breathe
Meaning
What does spir/o mean?
spir/o is a root meaning breathe, breathing. It comes from Latin spirare, to breathe.
Inside words it is spelled spir.
Don't confuse it with spir- in spirochete, which comes from a Greek word for coil.
In real words
Medical words with spir/o
a breathing test that uses a spirometer to measure how much air the lungs hold and move
an instrument that measures the volume of air the lungs can take in and breathe out
an instrument that records the movements of breathing
In the dictionary
More terms built with it
Terms in our life science dictionary that list spir/o among their word parts.
Sources
Checked against
Written for biofideX in plain words, after checking these references:
- 4.1 – Introduction to the Respiratory System – Building a Medical Terminology Foundation 2e
- Word Parts and Structural Terms – Medical Terminology: An Interactive Approach
- SPIRO- Definition & Meaning | Dictionary.com
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Lungs and airways
spir/o is one of 12 parts in this lesson. Learn them together, then take real words apart.
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