What does the prefix tachy- mean?

What does the prefix tachy- mean?

• A. Slow
• B. Fast
• C. Large
• D. Small

Answer: (B)

Tachy- means fast or rapid. In medical terms it describes an abnormally quick rate of something, most often heart rate or breathing. The root comes from the Greek tachys, meaning swift, which is why you see it in words like tachycardia (fast heart rate) and tachypnea (rapid breathing). This direct meaning explains why the correct choice is fast. For contrast, other prefixes describe opposite or different ideas: brady- means slow, while macro- or meg- indicate large and micro- indicates small.

Tachy- means fast or rapid. In medical terms it describes an abnormally quick rate of something, most often heart rate or breathing. The root comes from the Greek tachys, meaning swift, which is why you see it in words like tachycardia (fast heart rate) and tachypnea (rapid breathing). This direct meaning explains why the correct choice is fast. For contrast, other prefixes describe opposite or different ideas: brady- means slow, while macro- or meg- indicate large and micro- indicates small.