asthma
UK[ˈæsmə]US[ˈæzmə]
n
a medical condition that makes breathing difficult by causing the airways in the lungs to become narrow or blocked.
Etymology
the word 'asthma' entered english in the 14th century via latin from the ancient greek 'ἆσθμα' (âsthma), meaning 'panting, a short-drawn breath'. this greek term itself is derived from the verb 'ἄζειν' (ázein), 'to breathe hard'. the core semantic logic has remained remarkably consistent from its ancient origin to its modern medical usage, directly linking the physical sensation of labored breathing to the clinical diagnosis of a chronic respiratory condition. its journey into english exemplifies the direct borrowing of specialized medical terminology from classical languages.
Analysis
the word is a direct loanword from greek and is not productively segmented using modern english spelling substrings.
Examples
the cold air can trigger an asthma attack.
she uses an inhaler to manage her asthma.
childhood asthma is a common health concern.