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Chiro- is a combining form used like a prefix meaning “hand.” It is often used in medical and scientific terms.

Chiro- comes from the Greek �����í��, meaning “hand.” Bats (the winged mammals) are sometimes called chiropters, a name that literally means “hand-winged,” because their wing membranes are supported by the extended digits of the forelimbs. And chiromancy, another word for palmistry, is the art or practice of telling fortunes and interpreting character from the lines and configurations of the palm of a person’s hand; it literally means “hand divination.”

What are variants of chiro-?

When combined with words or word elements that begin with a vowel, chiro- becomes chir-. Another variant of chiro- is cheiro–, as in cheirokinesthesia.

You may have heard (or visited) a chiropractor, a practitioner of a therapeutic system, which is known as chiropractic and involves making adjustments on the spinal column.

The first part of these words, chiro-, means “hand.” The second part comes from the Greek word �������پ���ó��, source of practical and is based on a verb meaning “to do, act.” So, a chiropractor has the literal sense of “doing by hand,” a reference to how chiropractors use their hands to make adjustments to the spine.

What are some words that use the combining form chiro-?

• chirography
• chirognostic
• chiromegaly
• chiropodalgia
• chirospasm

What are some other forms that chiro- may be commonly confused with?

• cheilo-
• chilo-
• ����DzԻ����-��
• chorio-
• choreo-

Keeping in mind that -graphy refers to “writing,” what is an everyday term for chirography?