lith(o)-

Stone.

[Greek lithos, stone.]

The lithosphere is the rigid outer part of the earth, consisting of the crust and upper mantle; a lithophyte (Greek phuton, a plant) is a plant that grows on bare rock or stone.

The printing process called lithography is so called because the flat printing surface was originally a specially prepared stone; lithophane (Greek -phanēs, appearing) is a kind of ornamentation of porcelain visible when held to the light.

The form also applies to various stony materials which develop in the body, such as kidney stones or gallstones: lithiasis is their process of formation; lithotomy (Greek -tomia, cutting) is their surgical removal; lithotripsy (Greek tripsis, rubbing) is the surgical technique of breaking a stone into pieces using ultrasound shock waves.

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