pyorrhea

American  

[pahy-uh-ree-uh] / ˌpaɪ əˈri ə /

Or pyorrhoea

noun

1. Pathology. a discharge of pus.

2. Also called Riggs' disease.  Also called pyorrhea alveolaris.  Dentistry. a chronic form of periodontitis occurring in various degrees of severity, characterized in its severe forms by the formation of pus in the pockets between the roots of the teeth and their surrounding tissues, and frequently accompanied by the loosening and subsequent loss of the teeth.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• pyorrheal
  adjective
• pyorrheic
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of pyorrhea

First recorded in 1785–90; from New Latin; pyo-, -rrhea