cortico-

American  

1. a combining form representing cortex in compound words.

   corticosteroid.

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cortico- British  

combining form

1. indicating the cortex

   corticotrophin

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Usage

What does cortico- mean? Cortico- is a combining form used like a prefix representing the word cortex. It is used in medical terms, especially in anatomy and pathology. The cortex is a scientific term for the outer region of an organ or structure, especially the brain (cerebral cortex). Right above the kidney are the adrenal glands, which have an adrenal cortex. Learn more about the adrenal glands in our article on the combining form adreno-. Cortico- ultimately comes from the Latin cortex, meaning “bark, rind, shell, husk,” which are all outer coverings. What are variants of cortico-?When combined with words or word elements that begin with a vowel, cortico- becomes cortic-, as in corticectomy.

Etymology

Origin of cortico-

< Latin cortic- (stem of cortex cortex ) + -o-