myo-

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

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Also especially before a vowel, my-.

Origin of myo-

Combining form representing Greek mŷs mouse, muscle

Words nearby myo-

myna, mynah, my name is mud, Mynes, Mynheer, myo-, myoatrophy, M.Y.O.B., myoblast, myocardial, myocardial infarction

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

WORDS THAT USE MYO-

What does myo- mean?

Myo- is a combining form used like a prefix meaning “muscle.” It is often used in medical terms, especially in anatomy.

Myo- comes from the Greek mŷs, meaning “muscle” and “mouse.” Mouse? Yep, discover why at our entry for muscle.

What are variants of myo-?

When combined with words or word elements that begin with a vowel, myo- becomes my–, as in myalgia.

Examples of myo-

An example of a word you may have encountered that features myo- is myocardium, “the muscular substance of the heart.”

We know myo- means “muscle,” so the -cardium portion of the word? That’s right, -cardium refers to “heart,” from the Greek kardía. Myocardium literally translates to “heart muscle.”

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

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

myel-
myelo-

Not every word that begins with the exact letters myo- or my- is necessarily using the combining forming myo- to denote “muscle,” e.g., myopic or myriad. Learn why myopic means “shortsighted” at our entry for the word.

Break it down!

Given that myo- means “muscle” -ology means “study,” then what is myology?

How to use myo- in a sentence

It was necessary to appoint a man to carry on the duties of the Myo-k.
The Pacification of Burma|Sir Charles Haukes Todd Crosthwaite
Contractile or myo-epithelial cells, with the cell prolonged at the base into a contractile muscle-fibre (fig. 6, B).
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 14, Slice 2|Various
Tha-yet-myo, not the city of mangoes, as might be supposed, but the city of slaughter.
A Civil Servant in Burma|Herbert Thirkel White
At Allan-myo there was a decent little house, close to the river-bank.
A Civil Servant in Burma|Herbert Thirkel White

Such cells, made up of epithelial and muscular components, are known as epithelio-muscular or myo-epithelial cells.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 2, Slice 2|Various

British Dictionary definitions for myo-

myo-

before a vowel my-

combining form

musclemyocardium

Word Origin for myo-

from Greek mus muscle

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012