nephro-

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

   nephrolith.

nephro-

combining_form

1. kidney or kidneys

   nephrotomy

Word History and Origins

Origin of nephro-¹

Combining form representing Greek nephrós kidney, kidneys

Word History and Origins

Origin of nephro-¹

from Greek nephros

Words That Use nephro-

What does nephro- mean?

Nephro- is a combining form used like a prefix meaning “kidney.” It is often used in medical terms, especially in anatomy and pathology.

Nephro- comes from the Greek nephrós, meaning “kidney, kidneys.” The Latin word for kidney is rēnēs, yielding such English words as renal.

What are variants of nephro-?

When combined with words or word elements that begin with a vowel, nephro- becomes nephr-, as in nephralgia.

Examples of nephro-

An example of a word you may have encountered that features nephro- is nephrolith, “a renal calculus; kidney stone.” (Ouch.)

Nephro-, as we’ve seen, means “kidney,” and -lith is a combining form meaning “stone.” So, a nephrolith literally translates to “kidney stone.”

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

• nephric
• nephritic
• nephroma
• nephrocyte
• nephron
• nephrosis
• nephrotomy

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

• neph-
• nepho-

Be mindful that many other words begin with neph- but aren’t using the full combining form nephro- to denote “kidneys,” such as nephew or nephanalysis. Discover what nephanalysis has to do with mapping clouds at our entry for the word.

Break it down!

Put your knowledge of the meaning of nephro- to the test! What is a nephrologist?