What does the suffix -opsy mean?

What does the suffix -opsy mean?

• A. To view
• B. Mouth
• C. Testis
• D. Appetite

Answer: (A)

Suffix -opsy signals viewing or examining something. It comes from the Greek root opsis, meaning sight or view. In medical terms you see it in autopsy (examining a body) and biopsy (examining tissue). So the meaning aligned with -opsy is “to view.” The other ideas—mouth, testis, appetite—come from different roots (stomato-/oro-, orchido-/orchio-, and phagia/orexia, respectively) and don’t convey viewing, so they don’t fit.

Suffix -opsy signals viewing or examining something. It comes from the Greek root opsis, meaning sight or view. In medical terms you see it in autopsy (examining a body) and biopsy (examining tissue). So the meaning aligned with -opsy is “to view.” The other ideas—mouth, testis, appetite—come from different roots (stomato-/oro-, orchido-/orchio-, and phagia/orexia, respectively) and don’t convey viewing, so they don’t fit.