cheilo-

1. variant of chilo- ¹.

Words That Use cheilo-

What does cheilo- mean?

Cheilo- is a combining form used like a prefix meaning “lip.” It is often used in medical terms.

Cheilo- comes from the Greek cheîlos, meaning “lip.”

What are variants of cheilo-?

When combined with words or word elements that begin with a vowel, cheilo- becomes cheil-, as in cheilosis.

The form chilo-, as in chilotomy, and chil-, as in chilalgia, are common variants of cheilo- and cheil-, respectively. Learn more at our Words That Use articles for those forms.

Examples of cheilo-

The combining form cheilo– can be found in the medical term cheiloplasty, also spelled chiloplasty, meaning “plastic surgery of the lip.”

The combining form cheilo- means “lip,” as we’ve seen. The combining form -plasty, refers to plastic surgery. Putting it all back together, cheiloplasty literally translates to “lip plastic surgery.”

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

• cheilorrhaphy
• cheiloschisis 
• cheilostomatoplasty

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

• chloro-
• chrono-
• kilo-

Examples of words that uses cheil- as a variant of chelio- before words or word elements that begin with a vowel include:

• cheilalgia
• cheilectomy
• cheilitis
• cheilosis

Break it down!

Given that the combining form –tomy means “incision,” what does the medical procedure of cheilotomy involve?