thorac/o
chest, thorax
From Greek thorax (thorakos), breastplate, chest
Meaning
What does thorac/o mean?
thorac/o is a root meaning chest, thorax. It comes from Greek thorax (thorakos), breastplate, chest.
Inside words it is spelled thorac or thorax.
At the end of a word it keeps the full noun thorax, as in pneumothorax and hemothorax.
In real words
Medical words with thorac/o
pneumothorax
air collected in the space between the lung and the chest wall, which can make the lung collapse
relating to the chest
an operation to open the chest
a look inside the chest through a thoracoscope, a thin tube with a light and lens
hemothorax
blood collected in the pleural space between the lung and the chest wall · UK spelling: haemothorax
relating to the thoracic and lumbar parts of the spine, often where the two meet
done by way of or across the chest, as a transthoracic echocardiogram taken through the chest wall
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
- Guide to Common Medical Terminology
- THORACO- Definition & Meaning | Dictionary.com
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Lungs and airways
thorac/o is one of 12 parts in this lesson. Learn them together, then take real words apart.
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