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-