The prefix that means Break is which?

Master the Dean Vaughn Medical Terminology Test. Engage with flashcards and quizzes, detailed explanations provided. Enhance your medical vocabulary for exam success.

Multiple Choice

The prefix that means Break is which?

Explanation:
Understanding prefixes that describe actions helps you decode medical terms quickly. This prefix comes from Greek klastos, meaning broken or to break. It appears in terms like cranioclasis (breaking the skull) or osteoclasis (a surgical fracture to realign a bone). That action-focused meaning is what links this prefix to break. Ambi- means both or around, not related to breaking. Orth- means straight or correct, as in orthodontics, so it’s about straightness rather than breaking. Ventr- relates to the belly or ventral side, not to breaking either.

Understanding prefixes that describe actions helps you decode medical terms quickly. This prefix comes from Greek klastos, meaning broken or to break. It appears in terms like cranioclasis (breaking the skull) or osteoclasis (a surgical fracture to realign a bone). That action-focused meaning is what links this prefix to break.

Ambi- means both or around, not related to breaking. Orth- means straight or correct, as in orthodontics, so it’s about straightness rather than breaking. Ventr- relates to the belly or ventral side, not to breaking either.

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