mammo

[ mam-oh ]

noun

, Informal.

1. a mammogram:

   Some cancers detected by physical examination may not be seen on the mammo.

2. mammography:

   3D mammo takes multiple images of breast tissue from different angles, creating a three-dimensional view.

Word History and Origins

Origin of mammo¹

First recorded in 1985–90; by shortening

Words That Use Mammo-

What does mammo- mean?

Mammo- is a combining form used like a prefix meaning “breast” or “mammary gland.” It is often used in medical terms, especially in anatomy and pathology.

Mammo- ultimately comes from the Latin mamma, meaning “breast, teat.” The Latin mamma was borrowed directly into English as a technical word for the milk-secreting organ in female mammals (called breasts in humans). This root is also the source of the English mammal and mammary. The Greek-based analog to mammo- is masto-, from mastós, meaning “breast.”

What are variants of mammo-?

When combined with words or word elements that begin with a vowel, mammo- becomes mamm-, as in mammalgia.

Examples of mammo-

A mammogram, an x-ray photograph of the breast used for identifying tumors, is one example of a medical term you may have encountered that features the combining form mammo-.

The first part of the word, mammo-, means “breast.” The -gram part of the word, from the Greek grámma, means “image.” Mammogram literally translates to “image of the breast.”

What are some words that use the combining form mammo- or mamm-?

• mammectomy
• mammotomy
• mammography
• mammoplasty

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

• mono-
• nomo-

Not every word that begins with the exact letters mamm- is necessarily using the combining form mammo- to denote “breast.” One example is mammonism. Learn why mammon means “the greedy pursuit of riches” at our entry for the word.

Break it down!

The combining form -tomy means “incision.” What does the medical procedure of a mammotomy involve?