hist
Origin of hist
Other definitions for hist (2 of 3)
Other definitions for hist (3 of 3)
WORDS THAT USE HIST-
What does hist- mean?
The combining form hist- is a combining form used like a prefix meaning “tissue.” It is often used in medical terms, especially in anatomy and pathology.
In some instances, such as in the term histamine, hist- is an abbreviation of histidine, an amino acid needed for tissue repair.
The form hist- comes from Greek histós, meaning “web (of a loom)” or “tissue.”
What are variants of hist-?
The form hist- is a variant of histo-, which loses its -o- when combined with words or word elements beginning with vowels. In some rare instances, hist- becomes histio-, as in histioblast. Want to know more? Read our Words That Use articles for histo- and histio-.
Another variant of histo- before an element beginning with a vowel is histi-, as in histioid.
Examples of hist-
Histoid, or histioid, meaning “resembling normal tissue in structure,” is one example of a medical term that features the form hist-.
The hist- portion of the word means “tissue,” while the suffix -oid means “resembling, like,” from Greek -oeidēs. Histoid literally translates to “resembling tissue.”
What are some words that use the combining form hist-?
What are some other forms that hist- may be commonly confused with?
The word history and related terms begin with the letters histo- or hist- but do not use histo- as a combining form to mean “tissue.” Find out why history comes from the Greek word for “one who knows and sees” at our entry for the word.