sclero-

Sclero- is a combining form used like a prefix to mean “hard” or as a form of sclera, the white outer layer of the eyeball. Sclero- is often used in medical and scientific terms.

Sclero- comes from the Greek sklērós, meaning “hard.” The Greek sklērós also helps form the Greek word sklḗrōsis, literally meaning “hardening” and source of the English word sclerosis. You may have encountered sclerosis in the word atherosclerosis, the hardening of the arteries.

What are variants of sclero-?

When combined with words or word elements that begin with a vowel, sclero- becomes scler-, as in sclerema.

An example of a word you may have encountered that features sclero- is scleroderma, a disease in which connective tissue in the body becomes hardened and rigid.

We know that sclero- means “hard.” The second part of the word, -derma, means “skin,” used especially for skin disorders. Scleroderma, then, literally translates to “hard skin.”

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

• scleroblastema
• sclerocornea
• sclerodactyly
• sclerogenous
• scleromalacia
• scleroprotein
• scleronychia
• sclerotomy

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

• sacro-
• sarco-
• sphero-

What does a sclerometer, a tool used in mineralogy, measure?