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Entero- is a combining form used like a prefix meaning “intestine.” The are the long tract of the digestive system that runs from the stomach to the anus. Entero- is often used in medical terms, especially in anatomy and pathology.

Entero- comes from the Greek é�Գٱ���Dz�, meaning “intestine.” A scientific term for the digestive tract () is , which comes from this same Greek root. The word , literally meaning “bad bowels,” also derives from the Greek é�Գٱ���Dz�.

What are variants of entero-?

When combined with words or word elements that begin with a vowel, entero– becomes enter–, as in enterectomy.

An example of a word you may have encountered that features entero- is enterology, “the branch of medicine dealing with the intestines.”

We know that entero- means “intestine.” The -logy part of the word may also look familiar from such terms as biology among many other examples; it is a combining form used to name branches of science and fields of study. So, enterology has a literal sense of “study of the intestines.”

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

• enterocele
• enterocyst
• enterolith
• enteropathy
• enteropexy
• enterostomy
• enterotomy
• enterozoon

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

• ento-
• inter-

The combining form -tomy means “incision.” With this in mind, what does the surgical procedure of an enterotomy involve?