Which prefix means near or around the time of death?

• A. Ante-
• B. Peri-
• C. Post-
• D. Pre-

Answer: (B)

Peri- denotes around or near. In the context of death, perimortem describes events that occur around the time of death—not long before or after, but in that surrounding period. This is different from prefixes meaning before (ante- or pre-) and after (post-). For example, perimortem injuries occur close to death, ante-mortem injuries happened earlier and may show healing, and postmortem injuries occur after death. So the prefix meaning near or around the time of death is peri-.