ventri-

Ventri- is a combining form used like a prefix meaning “abdomen.” It is sometimes used in medical and scientific terms.

Ventri- comes from the Latin venter, meaning “belly, womb.”

What are variants of ventri-?

When combined with words or word elements that begin with a vowel, ventri- becomes ventr-, as in ventrad. Ventro-, as in ventrolateral, is also a variant of ventri-.

Want to know more? Read our Words That Use ventro- article.

One medical term that features ventri- is ventriduction, meaning “the drawing of a body part toward the abdomen or the abdominal wall.”

As we know, ventri- means “abdomen.” The second part of the word, -duction, comes from a Latin root variously meaning “leading, bringing, conducting.” So, ventriduction literally translates to “leading towards the abdomen.”

And have you ever seen a ventriloquist make it seem like their dummy’s talking? It comes from the Latin ventriloquus, which is composed of the Latin ventri- (“stomach”) and a derivative of loquī, “to speak.” That means a ventriloquist is literally a “stomach talker”!

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

• vene-
• veni-
• ventriculo-

Despite starting with the letters ventri-, the word ventricle, referring especially to the lower chambers of the heart, doesn’t exactly use ventri- as a combining form. That said, ventricle still ultimately derives from the Latin word venter. The Latin word ventriculus literally means “little belly”—a good word for a ventricle or other such hollow organ or cavity.

Ventricose is another word from the Latin venter, meaning “belly, womb.”

Ventricose means “swollen,” often in reference to a particular body part. Based on what you know about the combining form ventri-, what body part can be specifically described as ventricose?