ilio-

American  

1. a combining form representing ilium in compound words.

   iliofemoral.

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Usage

What does ilio- mean? Ilio- is a combining form used like a prefix representing the word ilium, a bone that makes up the broad, upper portion of the hipbones. It is used in some medical terms, especially in anatomy. Ilio- comes from the Latin īlium, “side,” “flank,” and, in the plural, “entrails, guts.” This Latin root is also the source of the intestinal term ileum, whose specific form probably resulted from some confusion with a Greek word. Learn more at our Origin sections for ilium and ileum. The ilium should not be confused with the ileum, a division of the intestines. Nor should ilio- be confused with ileo-, the combining form for ileum.