tracheo-

1. a combining form representing trachea in compound words:

   tracheotomy.

tracheo-

combining_form

1. denoting the trachea

   tracheotomy

Words That Use tracheo-

What does tracheo- mean?

Tracheo– is a combining form used like a prefix meaning “trachea.” The trachea is more commonly known as the windpipe; it is the part of the throat that conveys air to and from the lungs. It is often used in medical terms, especially in anatomy and pathology.

Tracheo– comes from the Greek phrase artēría trācheîa, meaning “rough artery” or “windpipe” (trācheîa specifically meaning “rough”). A close Latin translation of trācheîa, meaning “rough,” is asper, meaning “jagged, rugged,” which is the source of asperity and exasperate. Find out what asperity and exasperate have to do with roughness at our entries for both words.

What are variants of tracheo-?

When combined with words or word elements that begin with a vowel, tracheo– becomes trache–, as in tracheitis. Want to know more? Read our Words That Use article on trache-.

Examples of tracheo-

One example of a medical term that uses tracheo– is tracheotomy, “the operation of cutting into the trachea.”

The tracheo– part of the word means “trachea,” and the –tomy part of the word means “cutting, incision,” from Greek –tomia. Tracheotomy literally translates to “trachea incision.”

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

• tracheocele
• tracheomegaly
• tracheophony
• tracheophyte (using the equivalent form of tracheo– in Latin)
• tracheoplasty
• tracheoscopy
• tracheostomy

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

• thoraco-
• thyro-
• tricho-

Break it down!

The combining form –plasty means “surgical repair” or “plastic surgery.” With that in mind, what kind of medical procedure is a tracheoplasty?