podo-

1. variant of pod- before a consonant:

   podotheca.

Words That Use podo-

What does podo- mean?

The combining form podo– is a combining form used like a prefix meaning “foot.” It is occasionally used in scientific terms, especially in biology and medicine.

The form podo– comes from Greek poús, meaning “foot.” The Latin cognate of poús is pēs, “foot,” and is the source of several combining forms related to the lower extremities, including -ped, -pede, ped-, and pedi-. Discover more at our Words That Use articles for each of these four forms.

What are variants of podo-?

When combined with words or word elements that begin with a vowel, podo– becomes pod–, as in podalgia. The form podo– also shares an origin with the combining forms –pod, –poda, –pode, –podium, and –podous. Want to know more? Read our Words That Use articles for all six forms.

Examples of podo-

One example of a technical term that features the form podo– is podogram, “an imprint or outline tracing of the sole” of the foot.

The form podo– means “foot,” as we have seen. What about the –gram portion of the word? It means “drawing,” from Greek grámma. Podogram literally translates to “foot drawing.”

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

• podocarpus (using the equivalent form of podo– in Latin)
• podocyte
• podomere
• podophyllum (using the equivalent form of podo– in Latin)
• podotheca (using the equivalent form of podo– in Latin)

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

• pedi-
• pedo-

Not every word that begins with the exact letters podo– or pod-, such as podosphere, is necessarily using the combining form podo– to denote “foot.” Learn why podosphere means “podcast audience” at our entry for the word.

Break it down!

The combining form –mere means “part.” With this in mind, what does the anatomical term podomere mean?