cirrhosis
UK[sɪˈrəʊsɪs]US[sɪˈroʊsɪs]
n
a chronic disease of the liver marked by degeneration of cells, inflammation, and fibrous thickening of tissue, typically caused by alcoholism or hepatitis.
n
any similar condition of progressive scarring and dysfunction of an organ, especially the lungs or kidneys.
Morpheme Breakdown
cirrh
osis
cirrh
tawny
osis
condition
Etymology
the term cirrhosis originates from the greek word 'kirrhos', meaning tawny or yellowish-brown. it was coined in the early 19th century by french physician rené laënnec to describe the hardened, yellowish appearance of the diseased liver he observed during autopsies. the suffix '-osis', of greek origin, is commonly used in pathology to indicate a diseased or abnormal state. thus, the word's literal construction, "a tawny condition," directly reflects the organ's discolored physical state that characterizes the advanced stages of the disease.
Analysis
Structure: cirrh (tawny) + osis (condition)
cirrh is from greek 'kirrhos', meaning 'tawny' or 'orange-yellow'. osis is a greek suffix used in medical terminology to denote a 'disease' or 'abnormal condition'.
Examples
chronic alcohol abuse is a leading cause of liver cirrhosis.
the patient was diagnosed with primary biliary cirrhosis, an autoimmune disorder.
while often associated with the liver, pulmonary cirrhosis can also affect the lungs.