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Medical Dictionary - Directional
Term | Definition |
A&D | ascending & descending |
A-P | anterior-posterior |
AAL | anterior axillary line |
ab- | away from |
ad- | toward, increase |
AE | above elbow |
AK | above the knee |
ambi- | both, both sides, around |
ana- | up, apart, again |
ant. | anterior |
ante- | forward, before |
anter/o | front |
anterior | front |
apo- | separate, away from |
BE | below elbow |
bilat | bilateral |
BK | below the knee |
cata- | down |
circum- | around |
cis- | on the same side, on the near side |
contra- | against, opposite |
deep | Below the surface of the skin or within body cavity or limbs. |
dextr/o | right |
dis- | twice, apart, not |
dist/o | distant, far |
distal | farthest from the origin |
dors/o | back of body |
dorsum | top of the foot |
ecto- | out, outward |
en- | in, within |
endo- | within |
epi- | above, on, following |
eso- | inward |
ex- | out, away from |
exo- | outside, outward |
ext | exterior |
extra- | outside of, beyond |
fore- | before, in front |
frontal coronal plane | Separates the body's anterior and posterior |
ICS | intercostal space |
inf. | inferior |
inferior | below |
infra- | below, down, under |
inter- | between |
ipsi- | same |
juxta- | near, close |
L&R | left & right |
lat | lateral |
later/o | side |
lateral | Away from the body's midline |
LE | lower extremity |
levo- | left |
LLE | left lower extremity |
LLL | left lower lobe |
LLQ | left lower quadrant |
LUE | left upper extremity |
LUL | left upper lobe |
LUQ | left upper quadrant |
medi/o | middle |
medial | Toward the body's midline |
P-A | posteroanterior |
peri- | around, surrounding |
post- | after, behind, back |
post. | posterior |
posterior | back |
pre- | before, in front of |
prone | Lying on the abdomen |
pros/o | forward, anterior |
prox. | proximal |
proxim/o | nearest |
proximal | Nearest to the point of attachment to the trunk |
retro- | backward |
RLE | right lower extremity |
RLL | right lower lobe |
RLQ | right lower quadrant |
RUE | right upper extremity |
RUL | right upper lobe |
RUQ | right upper quadrant |
sagittal plane | separates the body's left and right sections |
sinistr/o | left |
sub- | under, below |
sup. | superior |
super- | above, beyond |
superficial | near the surface |
superior | above |
supination | The condition of being supine. Alternatively, the act of turning the hand so that the palm is up. |
supine | lying face up |
supra- | above, upward |
tel/o | complete, end |
trans- | across, through |
transverse horizontal plane | separates the body's upper and lower sections |
UE | upper extremity |
ventr/o | front, belly side |
ventral | Pertaining to the belly or front of the body. |
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