cardi-

American  

1. variant of cardio- before a vowel.

   cardialgia.

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Usage

What does cardi- mean? Cardi- is a combining form used like a prefix meaning “heart.” It is often used in medical and scientific terms. Cardi- comes from the Greek kardía, meaning “heart.” In fact, the English word heart and the Greek kardía are related. Learn more at our entry for heart. And no, the artist Cardi B did not get her name from cardi-; Cardi B is a nickname based on Bacardi, a popular brand of rum. Cardi- is a variant of cardio-, which loses its -o- when combined with words or word elements beginning with vowels. Want to know more? Read our Words That Use cardio- article.