COLOURS IN MEDICAL TERMINOLOGY

1. General terms

color, oris, m. (Lat.) = chroma, chromatis, n. (Gr.) = colour

2. Adjectives denoting colours and demonstration of their medical use

albus, a, um (L.) = leuko- (G.) = white

e.g. vaselinum album; albinismus; leucocytus; leucorrhoea; leucoplacia; leucaemia

pallidus, a, um (L.) = pale

            e.g. facies pallida; febris pallida

flavus/luteus, a, um (L.) = xantho-/cirrho- (G.) = yellow

            e.g. febris flava; corpus luteum; ligamenta flava; xanthoderma; cirrhosis

ruber, a, um (L.) = erythro- (G.) = red

            e.g. medulla ossium rubra; nucleus ruber; rubeola; erythrocytus; erythroderma

roseus,  a, um (L.) = pink

            e.g. pithyriasis rosea; roseola

caeruleus, a, um (L.) = cyano- (G.) = blue/blue-black

e.g. naevus caeruleus; cyanosis; cyanopsia; cyanoticus

niger, a, um (L.) = melano-/anthraco- (G.) = black

            e.g. lingua villosa nigra; substantia nigra; melanoma; melanosis; anthracosis

griseus, a, um (L.) = polio- (G.) = grey

            e.g. substantia grisea; poliomyelitis; poliovirus

lividus, a, um (L.) = livid, discoloured, bluish

            e.g. asphyxia livida

glauco- (G. ~ chloro-) = green-blue                 e.g. glaucoma

fuscus, a, um = dark, brown                            e.g. lagoena fusca

versicolor, oris (L.) = poikilo- (G.) = vari-coloured

            e.g. pithyriasis versicolor; poikiloderma