auriculo
|au-ri-cu-lo|
🇺🇸
/ˌɑːrɪˈkjuːloʊ/
🇬🇧
/ˌɔːrɪˈkjuːləʊ/
ear (auricle) / atrium
Etymology
'auriculo' originates from Latin, specifically the word 'auricula', where 'aur-' meant 'ear' and the diminutive suffix '-cula' meant 'little'.
'auricula' comes from Classical Latin 'auricula' (a small ear), passed into Medieval and Late Latin and was adopted into medical New Latin and English as the combining form 'auriculo-'.
Initially it meant 'little ear', but over time it evolved into the modern combining form meaning 'relating to the ear (auricle) or to an atrium'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
combining form (prefix) used in medical and anatomical terminology to mean 'ear' (particularly the auricle/external ear) or the atrium (of the heart).
The prefix auriculo- appears in terms like auriculoventricular to describe relations between the auricle and ventricle.
Synonyms
Adjective 1
'Auriculo-' used attributively in compound forms to indicate something relating to an auricle or atrium (i.e., auriculo‑).
In auriculopexy, the auriculo- element indicates the procedure involves the auricle.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2025/11/20 20:26