-rrhoea

combining form

1. (in pathology) a discharge or flow

   diarrhoea

Word History and Origins

Origin of -rrhoea¹

from New Latin, from Greek -rrhoia , from rhoia a flowing, from rhein to flow

Words That Use -rrhoea

What does -rrhoea mean?

The combining form -rrhoea is used like a suffix meaning “flow” or “discharge.” It is often used in medical terms, including in pathology.

The form -rrhoea comes from the Greek rhoía, meaning “a flow” (like a stream).

The form -rrhoea, along with -rhoea, are chiefly British English variants of -rrhea. In some, now usually historical instances, the letters –oe- may be written as a ligature œ, as in -rrhœa.

Want to know more? Read our Words That Use –rrhea article.

Examples of -rrhoea

An example of one word that features -rrhoea is logorrhoea, meaning “excessive, uncontrollable, or incoherent talkativeness.”

The first part of the word, logo-, means “word” or “speech.” As we know, -rrhoea means “flow.” Taken together, logorrhoea is “a flow of speech.” In American English, the word is spelled logorrhea.

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

• amenorrhoea
• diarrhoea (from the Greek diárrhoia)
• dysmenorrhoea
• galactorrhoea
• leucorrhoea
• menorrhoea
• pyorrhoea

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

• -rrhagia
• -rrhaphy
• -rrhexis
• -rrhiza

Break it down!

The combining form pyo- means “pus.” With this in mind, what does the medical condition of pyorrhoea involve?