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

Cardi- comes from the Greek �첹����í��, meaning “heart.” In fact, the English word heart and the Greek �첹����í�� are related. Learn more at our entry for heart.

And no, the artist Cardi B did not get her name from cardi-; Cardi B is a nickname based on Bacardi, a popular brand of rum.

Cardi- is a variant of cardio-, which loses its -o- when combined with words or word elements beginning with vowels. Want to know more? Read our �������t¶��s That Use cardio- article.

A term you may be familiar with that features the combining form cardi- is cardialgia, a medical term for heartburn.

As we have seen, cardi- means “heart.” The second portion of the word, -algia, comes from the Greek á�����Dz�, meaning “pain.” Cardialgia translates literally to “heart pain.”

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

• cardiac (using the equivalent form of cardi- in Greek)
• cardiac valve
• cardiectomy
• cardiectasia
• cardioid (using the equivalent form of cardi- in Greek)

Not every word that begins cardi- is related to this combining form. The word cardinal, for instance, comes from the Latin cardinalis, meaning “hinge.” The style of sweater known as a cardigan (“cardie,” for short) is named for the 7th Earl of Cardigan. Yep, the sweater is named after a British earl. Learn more at our origin section for cardigan.

Arrest can mean “abruptly stopping.” With this in mind, what happens during cardiac arrest?