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Meaning & use

oto

prefix·Advancedtechnicalmedical

Last updated

UK/ˈəʊtəʊ/
US/ˈoʊtoʊ/

Meanings

  1. prefixtechnicalmedical

    Relating to the ear; used at the front of medical and scientific words.

    Grammar: A bound form: it cannot stand alone, so write otitis, not 'oto is painful'.

    Patterns

    • oto- + noun root (otoscope, otology)
    • oto- + -itis (otitis)
    • oto- + adjective ending (otic)

    The doctor used an otoscope to look deep inside the child's ear canal.

    Otitis media is an infection of the middle ear that is common in young children.

    She decided to specialize in otology because she found hearing disorders fascinating.

  2. prefixtechnicalbiology

    Used in biology for structures connected with hearing or with ear-like organs.

    Grammar: Also bound: it appears only inside longer technical terms such as otolith.

    Patterns

    • oto- + Greek root (otolith, otocyst)

    An otolith is a small stony structure that helps a fish keep its balance.

    Researchers compared the otocysts of several marine species.

Common combinations

otitis media
The toddler was given antibiotics for otitis media.
otoscope examination
An otoscope examination showed a small amount of fluid behind the eardrum.
otosclerosis surgery
Otosclerosis surgery can restore some hearing in suitable patients.
otolaryngology department
He was referred to the otolaryngology department for further tests.

Synonyms and how they differ

aur-
Another ear-related combining form, as in aural; it is used with different roots and is less common in everyday medical writing.
audi-
Relates to hearing rather than the ear itself, as in audiology, so it is not a true swap for oto-.

Word family

otitis noun
Inflammation of the ear.
otoscope noun
An instrument with a light for examining the ear.
otology noun
The branch of medicine that deals with the ear.
otic adjective
Relating to the ear.
otolaryngology noun
The medical specialty covering the ear, nose, and throat.

Commonly confused: oto or auto-?

oto vs auto-

Auto- means 'self' or 'by itself' (automatic, autobiography), while oto- means 'ear'. They sound similar in fast speech, so check the meaning of the whole word.

Practice

Which word correctly uses the combining form oto-?

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