gastro-

Gastro- is a combining form used like a prefix meaning “stomach.” It is often used in medical terms, particularly in anatomy and pathology.

Gastro- comes from the Greek gastḗr, meaning “stomach” or “belly.”

What are variants of gastro-?

When combined with words or word elements that begin with a vowel, gastro- becomes gastr-, as in gastralgia.

One word you may have encountered that uses the combining form gastro- is gastrology, “the study of the structure, functions, and diseases of the stomach.”

We know gastro- means “stomach,” so what does the -logy portion of the word mean? That’s right, -logy refers to “science,” ultimately from the Greek lógos, meaning “word, thought” among many other senses. Gastrology literally translates to “stomach science.”

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

• gastrocardiac
• gastrocolitis
• gastrodermis
• gastromalacia
• gastropathy
• gastropod

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

• astro-

The gastro- in the word gastropub, a bar that serves good food and high-quality drinks, is actually short from gastronomy, “the art or science of good eating.” Related is gastronome, “a connoisseur of good food.”

Gastropod is the name for a type of mollusks, including snails and slugs. The combining form -pod means “one having a foot.” What, then, is the literal translation of the name gastropod?