entero-

Entero- is a combining form used like a prefix meaning “intestine.” The intestines are the long tract of the digestive system that runs from the stomach to the anus. Entero- is often used in medical terms, especially in anatomy and pathology.

Entero- comes from the Greek énteron, meaning “intestine.” A scientific term for the digestive tract (alimentary canal) is enteron, which comes from this same Greek root. The word dysentery, literally meaning “bad bowels,” also derives from the Greek énteron.

What are variants of entero-?

When combined with words or word elements that begin with a vowel, entero– becomes enter–, as in enterectomy.

An example of a word you may have encountered that features entero- is enterology, “the branch of medicine dealing with the intestines.”

We know that entero- means “intestine.” The -logy part of the word may also look familiar from such terms as biology among many other examples; it is a combining form used to name branches of science and fields of study. So, enterology has a literal sense of “study of the intestines.”

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

• enterocele
• enterocyst
• enterolith
• enteropathy
• enteropexy
• enteroptosis
• enterostomy
• enterotomy
• enterozoon

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

• ento-
• inter-
• onto-

The combining form -tomy means “incision.” With this in mind, what does the surgical procedure of an enterotomy involve?