What is the medical prefix for "abnormally fast"?

The prefix "tachy-" is used in medical terminology to denote something that is abnormally fast, particularly in relation to heart rate or other physiological processes. For example, "tachycardia" refers to an abnormally rapid heartbeat. This prefix derives from the Greek word "tachus," meaning quick or fast.

In contrast, the other prefixes relate to different conditions: "brady-" signifies abnormally slow, "hyper-" indicates an excess or above normal level, while "hypo-" implies a deficiency or below normal level. Understanding these prefixes is essential as they are commonly used in medical lexicon to describe various conditions and their severity.