chilo-

Chilo- is a combining form used like a prefix principally meaning “lip.” It is often used in medical and scientific terms.

This use of chilo- comes from the Greek cheîlos, meaning “lip.”

What are variants of chilo-?

When combined with words or word elements that begin with a vowel, chilo- becomes chil-, as in chilalgia. The forms cheilo-, as in cheilotomy, and cheil-, as in cheilitis, are variants of chilo-.

Chilotomy, meaning “an incision into the lip,” is one example of a medical term that features the combining form chilo-.

As we know, chilo- means “lip.” The second part of the word, -tomy, means “cutting, incision.” Chilotomy literally translates to “lip cutting.”

What are some words that use the combining form chilo- to mean “lip”?

• chiloplasty
• chilorrhaphy
• chiloschisis
• cheilostomatoplasty

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

• chloro-
• chrono-
• kilo-