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Angio- is a combining form used like a prefix meaning “vessel” or “container.” It is used in medical and scientific terms. In anatomy, angio- specifically refers to blood and lymphatic vessels. In botany, angio- specifically refer to seed vessels.

Angio- comes from the Greek ���Բ���î�Dz�, meaning “vessel, vat, shell.”

What are variants of angio-?

When combined with words or word elements that begin with a vowel, angio- becomes angi-, as in angiectomy.

One example of a medical term that features the combining form angio- is angiotomy, “incision into a blood vessel.”

The first part of the word, angio-, means “blood vessel,” as we have seen. The second part of the word, -tomy, is a combining form meaning “incision.” Angiotomy literally translates to “vessel incision.”

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

• angioblast
• angiocardiography
• angiocarp
• angioedema
• angiogram
• angiography
• angiolith
• angiology
• angiosperm

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

• algo-
• aniso-

The combining form -lith means “stone,” used in medicine for a hard, solid mass that develops in the body. In what general part of the body does an angiolith form?