Meaning & use
thorac-
Last updated
Meaning
prefixmedical
Relating to the chest or thorax, used in medical terms.
Grammar: Combines with other word parts to form nouns and adjectives, as in thoracic or thoracotomy.
Patterns
- thorac- + noun
- thorac- + adjective
The patient complained of thorac pain, so the doctor ordered a chest X-ray.
Thorac surgery requires specialized training.
The thorac spine protects the heart and lungs.
Common combinations
- thoracic
- The thoracic cavity contains the heart and lungs.
- thoracotomy
- A thoracotomy is a surgical incision into the chest wall.
- thoracoscopy
- Thoracoscopy allows doctors to examine the chest cavity with a camera.
- thoracalgia
- Thoracalgia refers to pain in the chest wall.
Synonyms and how they differ
- pector-
- Pector- also relates to the chest but is used more in anatomy for the pectoral muscles.
Word family
Commonly confused: thorac- or thromb-?
thorac- vs thromb-
Thromb- refers to a blood clot, while thorac- refers to the chest. They sound somewhat similar but have different meanings.
Practice
Which word uses the prefix thorac- correctly to mean 'relating to the chest'?
Choose one answer.
Thoracic means relating to the chest, from thorac-. Thrombosis is a blood clot, therapeutic is healing, and thermal relates to heat.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “thorac-”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.