Affixes

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.