hepat-

Hepat- is a combining form used like a prefix meaning “liver.” It is often used in medical terms, especially in anatomy.

Hepat- comes from the Greek hêpar, meaning “liver.”

Hepat- is a variant of hepato-, which loses its -o- when combined with words or word elements beginning with vowels. Want to know more? Read our Words That Use hepato- article.

An example of a word you likely have heard before that features hepat- is hepatitis, meaning “inflammation of the liver,” and is caused by a virus or toxin.

As we’ve seen, the prefix hepat- means “liver.” The suffix -itis is used to indicate inflammation. Hepatitis, then, literally translates to “inflammation of the liver.”

What are some words that use the combining form hepato-?

• hepatatrophia
• hepatitic
• hepatalgia

What are some other forms that hepato- may be commonly confused with?

• herp.
• hyper-
• hypo-

Put your knowledge of hepat- to the test! The combining form -algia means “pain.” With that in mind, what is the medical term for pain in the liver?