lumbo-

1. a combining form meaning “loin,” used in the formation of compound words:

   lumbosacral.

Word History and Origins

Origin of lumbo-¹

Combining form representing Latin lumbus loin; -o-

Example Sentences

"It ain't no use to stab for such a hole in the wall as Lumbo Reach," declared Candage in discouraged tones.

From Project Gutenberg

Behind Lumbo-gangri are the valley and river of the Rukyok-tsangpo, which flows to the Chaktak-tsangpo.

From Project Gutenberg

This morning I tried Lumbo and two other shelters, and then chased along the trail of the blow.

From Project Gutenberg

Lumbo-abdominal neuralgia and sciatica have yielded much more readily than brachial or dorso-intercostal neuralgia, etc., etc.

From Project Gutenberg

Its corresponding vein is in close contact behind, as also the lumbo-sacral nerve, the obdurator nerve to its outer side.

From Project Gutenberg

Words That Use lumbo-

What does lumbo- mean?

Lumbo– is a combining form used like a prefix meaning “loin.” Loin, frequently in the plural loins, refers to the part of the body above your hip and below the ribcage or around the groin. Lumbo– is occasionally used in medical terms, especially in anatomy.

Lumbo– comes from Latin lumbus, meaning “loin,” which is also the source of loin as well as technical terms such as lumbago, a type of pain in the lower back, and numbles, the innards of certain animals that are used for food.

What are variants of lumbo-?

When combined with words or word elements that begin with a vowel, lumbo– becomes lumb–, as in lumbar, from Latin lumbāris. Want to know more? Read our Words That Use article about lumb-.

Examples of lumbo-

One example of a term from anatomy that uses the form lumbo– is lumbosacral, “of, relating to, or involving the lumbar and sacral regions or parts of the body.”

The lumbo– part of the word means “loin,” while –sacral refers to the sacrum, a bone in the pelvis. Lumbosacral literally means “relating to the loin and sacrum.”

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

• lumbocolostomy
• lumbocostal
• lumbocostal ligament
• lumboinguinal

What are some other forms that lumbo– may be commonly confused with?

• labio-
• lympho-
• lyo-

Not every word that begins with the exact letters lumb-, such as lumbrical or lumber, is necessarily using the combining form lumbo– to denote “loin.” Learn why lumber means “wood” at our entry for the word.

Break it down!

The word costal means “pertaining to the ribs or the upper sides of the body.” With this in mind, what does the anatomical term lumbocostal mean?