pleur-

Pleur- is a combining form used like a prefix variously meaning “side,” “rib,” “lateral,” and “pleura.” Pleura is a term for the membrane around the lungs and makes a lining for the chest cavity; its adjective form is pleural.

Pleuro- is often used in medical and scientific terms, including in anatomy and zoology.

Pleur- comes from the Greek pleurá, meaning “side (of the body); rib.”

Pleur– is a variant of pleuro-, which loses its –o– when combined with words or word elements beginning with vowels.

Want to know more? Read our Words That Use pleuro- article.

An example of a medical term you may have encountered that features pleur- is pleuralgia, meaning “pain in the chest or side.”

The first part of the word, pleur-, means “side,” as in the side of the body. The second portion of the word, -algia, means “pain.” Pleuralgia, then, literally translates to “side pain.”

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

• pleurapophysis
• pleurectomy
• pleurodynia

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

• pluri-
• ptero-

While identical in pronunciation and close spelling, the adjectives pleural (which is related to pleur-) and plural are not related. Discover the history of plural at our entry for the word.

Fremitus is a medical term for a palpable vibration. What part of the body does pleural fremitus affect?