Prescription abbreviations

Pharmacy Latin

A selection of Latin terms relevant in the pharmacy

A

• absolutus – absolute
• absorptio – absorption
• abusus – misuse
• acidus – acidic
• activatus – activated
• adeps – wax, fat
• aequalis – equal
• aetheroleum – essential oil
• albedo – inner white layer of the peel of citrus fruits
• albumen – protein, egg white
• albus – white
• alcalinus – alkaline
• alumen – alum
• amarus – bitter
• ammoniatus – containing ammonia
• ampulla – ampoule
• anaestheticus – anaesthetic
• analgeticus – pain-relieving
• anhydricus – anhydrous
• animal – animal
• animalis – of animal origin
• anionicus – anionic
• anisatus – containing anise oil
• anthelminthicus – anthelmintic
• antiarterioskleroticus – anti-arteriosclerotic
• antiarthriticus – relieving joint inflammation
• antiasthmaticus – relieving asthma
• antidiabeticus – antidiabetic
• antidiarrhoicus – antidiarrhoeal
• antihidroticus – reducing sweating
• antineuralgicus – antineuralgic
• antiphlogisticus – anti-inflammatory
• antirheumaticus – relieving rheumatism, rheumatism-
• apis – bee
• aqua – water
• aquosus – aqueous
• arachis – peanut
• aromaticus – aromatic
• artificialis – artificial
• arvensis – field-

B

• bacillus – rod
• basalis – basal
• benzoatus – containing benzoic acid
• bronchialis – bronchial
• butyrum – butter

C

• calcinatus – calcined
• camphoratus – containing camphor, camphor-
• candidus – candied
• cantharis – Spanish fly
• capillus – hair
• capsula – capsule
• carbo – charcoal
• carminativus – carminative (relieving flatulence)
• causticus – caustic
• cera – wax
• ceratus – containing wax, wax-
• cholagogus – promoting bile flow, bile-
• cinereus – grey
• citrinus – lemon-yellow
• collemplastrum – adhesive plaster
• colloidalis – colloidal
• collyrium – eye lotion
• communis – common, ordinary
• compositus, -a, -um – compound
• compressi – tablets
• compressus – compressed
• concentratus – concentrated
• concisus, concisua, concisum – cut
• conditus – sugar-coated
• conservus – preserved
• contusus – crushed, ground
• corpus – body
• cortices – barks
• cortex – bark
• corticus – peeled
• crinalis – relating to the hair
• crispus – curly
• cristallisabilis – crystallising
• cristallisatus – crystallised
• crudus – raw, unpurified
• cryodesiccatus – freeze-dried

D

• denaturatus – denatured
• depuratus – purified
• dermicus – for the skin
• desoleatus – de-oiled
• destillatus – distilled
• diaphoreticus – promoting sweating
• digitus – finger, toe
• dilutio – dilution
• dilutus – diluted
• dispergibilis – dispersible
• dispersus – dispersed, finely distributed
• diureticus – diuretic
• domesticus – domestic, house-
• dulcis – sweet
• duplex – double
• durus – hard

E

• elasticus – elastic
• electus – selected, choice
• emeticus – emetic
• emulsio – emulsion
• enuresis – bedwetting
• epidermis – epidermis
• ethanolicus, -cum – containing ethanol, ethanolic
• ethereus – ethereal
• expressus – pressed
• exsiccatus – dried out
• externus – external
• extractum – extract
• extractum fluidum, extracta fluida – fluid extracts
• extractum spissum, extracta spissa – thick extracts
• extractum siccum, extracta sicca – dry extracts

F

• factitus – artificial
• faex – yeast
• farina – flour
• febris – fever
• fermentatus – fermented
• ferratus – containing iron
• flavedo – outer yellow layer of the peel of citrus fruits
• flavus – yellow
• flor – flower
• flores – flowers
• flos – flower
• fluidus – fluid, fluid-
• folia – leaves
• folium – leaf
• fortis – strong
• fructus – fruit
• fruticosus – bushy
• furfur – bran
• fusus – cast

G

• genus – genus, kind
• glacialis – glacial
• gramen – grass
• granulatus – granulated
• griseus – grey
• grossus – coarse
• gummi – gum
• gummis – gums
• gutta – drop
• gynaecologicus – gynaecological

H

• hepaticus – acting on the liver, liver-
• herba – herb
• hirudo – leech
• homo – human being
• hortensis – growing in the garden
• humanus – human
• hydricus – containing water
• hydrogenatus – hydrogenated
• hydrophilicus – hydrophilic
• hydrophobicus – hydrophobic
• hydrosolubile – water-soluble
• hydroxidus – hydroxide
• hyperämicus – promoting blood flow
• hypertonicus – raising blood pressure
• hypnoticus – sleep-inducing

I

• inactivatus – inactivated
• infundibilis – for infusion
• Infusio – solution for infusion
• Inhalatio – solution for inhalation
• injectabilis – for injection
• Injectio – solution for injection
• inspissatus – thickened
• internus – internal
• intravenosus – intravenous
• inversus – inverted, invert-
• ionogenicus – ionogenic
• isotonicus – isotonic

J

• jecur – liver
• juglans – walnut

K

• kalinus – containing potassium, potash
• klysma – enema

L

• labialis – relating to the lips
• lac – milk
• lanceolatus – pointed, lanceolate
• lanugo – cotton wool for dressings
• legumen – pulse, legume
• letalis – lethal
• levis – light
• levissimus – very light
• lichen – lichen, moss
• ligna – woods
• lignum – wood
• liquefactus – liquefied
• liquidus, -a, -um – liquid, viscous
• liquorosus – liqueur-
• longus – long
• lotio – shake lotion
• lotus – washed
• luteus – yellow

M

• maceratum – macerate
• maculatus – spotted
• magnus – large
• maioris – large
• marinus – marine, sea-
• maturus – ripe
• maximus – large
• medicatus – medicated
• medicinal – medicinal-
• medicinalis – medicinal
• medicus – doctor
• mel – honey
• metallicus – metallic
• methanolicum – methanolic
• microcristallinus – microcrystalline
• mineralis – mineral
• minimus – small
• minutim concisus – finely cut
• mitis – mild
• mollis – soft
• morbus – disease
• mortuus – dead
• mucilaginosus – gel-like, mucilaginous
• mucilagines – mucilages, gels
• mucilago – mucilage, gel
• mundatus – peeled

N

• nasalis – nasal
• naturalis – natural
• nervinus – calming, nerve-
• neutralis – neutral
• normatus – standardised
• novus – new
• nux – nut

O

• obductus – coated
• occidentalis – western
• oculoguttae – eye drops
• oculus – eye
• officinalis – officinal
• oleum – oil
• oleosus – oily, containing oil
• ophthalmicus – acting on the eye, eye-
• oralis – oral
• orientalis – eastern
• otoguttae – ear drops
• oxidus – oxide

P

• pectoralis – chest-
• pectus – chest
• per centum – per cent
• perennis – perennial
• pericarpium – fruit wall, pericarp
• perliquidus – thin-flowing
• peroxidus – -peroxide
• Pertussis – whooping cough
• pharmaceuticus – pharmaceutical
• piperitus – peppery
• pix – tar
• ponderosus – heavy
• präcipitatus – precipitated
• präparatio – preparation
• präparatus – prepared
• pratensis – meadow-
• proprius – own
• proteinatus – containing protein, protein-
• pseudofructus – false fruit
• pulmo – lung
• pulveratus – powdered
• pulveres – powders (pl.)
• pulvis – powder (not "powdered")
• pumilionis – small in stature
• purificatus – purified
• purissimus – purest
• purus – pure

R

• radices – roots
• radix – root
• raffinatus – refined
• raspatus – grated
• recens, recentis – fresh
• rectificatus – rectified
• resorbilis – absorbable
• rhinoguttae – nose drops
• rhizoma – rootstock, rhizome
• rotundus – round

S

• sal – salt
• salicylatus – containing salicylic acid, salicyl-
• salix – willow
• sanguis – blood
• sapo – soap
• saponatus – containing soap, soap-
• saturatio – saturation
• sedativus – calming
• semen – seed
• semina – seeds
• siccatus, siaccata, siccatum – dried, dry
• siccus – dry
• siliceus – containing silica
• similis – similar
• simplex – simple
• sine – without
• sirupi – syrups
• sirupus – syrup
• solidus – solid, hard
• solubilis – soluble
• solutio – solution
• solutiones – solutions
• spasmolyticus – antispasmodic
• spirituosus – alcoholic
• spiritus – spirit
• spissus – viscous
• sterilis – sterile
• sterilisatus – sterilised
• stigma – style (of a flower)
• stipes – stalk
• stomachicus – acting on the stomach, stomach-
• stylus – stick
• sublimatus – sublimated
• subtilis – fine
• succus – juice, usually pressed juice
• suillus – from the pig
• sulfur – sulphur
• suppositorium – suppository
• suspensio – suspension
• syntheticus – synthetic

T

• talis – of such a kind, such
• technicus – technical
• testa – shell, seed coat
• tinctura – tincture
• titratus – titrated
• tortus – twisted
• tostus – roasted
• totus – whole
• triplex – triple
• trituratio – trituration
• tuber – root or stem tuber
• tussis – cough
• urologicus – acting on the urinary organs, bladder-
• ustus – burnt
• usus – use

V

• vaginalis – vaginal
• vapor – vapour
• vegetabilis – vegetable, plant-based
• venenum – poison
• verus – true, genuine
• veterinarius – veterinary
• vinosus – containing wine
• viridis – green
• viscosus – viscous
• vivus – living
• vulgaris – common
• vulnerius – wound-