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-itis

  1. a suffix used in pathological terms that denote inflammation of an organ ( bronchitis; gastritis; neuritis ) and hence, in extended senses, nouns denoting abnormal states or conditions, excesses, tendencies, obsessions, etc. ( telephonitis; baseballitis ).


-itis

suffix forming nouns

  1. indicating inflammation of a specified part

    tonsillitis

  2. informal.
    indicating a preoccupation with or imaginary condition of illness caused by

    telephonitis

    computeritis

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012


–itis

  1. A suffix meaning “inflammation,” as in bronchitis, inflammation of the bronchial tubes.


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Word History and Origins

Origin of -itis1

< New Latin (or Latin ) -ītis < Greek
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Word History and Origins

Origin of -itis1

New Latin, from Greek, feminine of -itēs belonging to; see -ite 1
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Example Sentences

Then he looked grave and mentioned a string of grievances that the flesh is heir to—mostly ending in "itis."

Think of the doctors' terminations, so many of them fatal, in itis, which they have invented in the last few years.

The names are all cognate with the word itis, an ancient term applied to the woman who exercised sacred functions.

Every other girl one met had an attack of khaki-itis, was spotted as the pard with badges and striped as the zebra.

It's beginning to look as if we had acquired a pretty bad case of malignant strangle-itis.

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-itiousIt is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done