pancreat-

1. variant of pancreato- before a vowel:

   pancreatin.

Words That Use pancreat-

What does pancreat- mean?

Pancreat– is a combining form used like a prefix meaning “pancreas.” The pancreas is “a gland, situated near the stomach, that secretes a digestive fluid into the intestine through one or more ducts and also secretes the hormone insulin.” The form pancreat– is occasionally used in medical terms, especially in pathology.

Pancreat– comes from Greek pánkreas, meaning “sweetbread.” Yes—sweetbread. Discover why at our entry for sweetbread.

What are variants of pancreat-?

Pancreat– is a variant of pancreato–, which loses its –o– when combined with words or word elements beginning with vowels. Another, less common variant of pancreat– is pancreatico–, as in pancreaticoduodenal. Want to know more? Read our Words That Use articles for pancreato– and pancreatico-.

Examples of pancreat-

A medical term that uses pancreat– that you may have come across is pancreatitis, “inflammation of the pancreas.” Pancreatitis comes from a Latin word that features the equivalent of pancreat– in that language.

Pancreat– means “pancreas,” while the –itis part of the word denotes inflammation of an organ. Pancreatitis literally means “inflammation of the pancreas.”

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

• pancreatalgia
• pancreatectomy
• pancreatic artery
• pancreatic duct

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

• pan-
• para-

Break it down!

The combining form –ectomy means “excision.” With this in mind, what kind of medical procedure is a pancreatectomy?