-osis

1. a suffix occurring in nouns that denote actions, conditions, or states ( hypnosis; leukocytosis; osmosis ), especially disorders or abnormal states ( chlorosis; neurofibromatosis; tuberculosis ).

-osis

suffix forming nouns

1. indicating a process or state

   metamorphosis

2. See -iasis
   indicating a diseased condition Compare -iasis

   tuberculosis

3. indicating the formation or development of something

   fibrosis

–osis

1. A suffix that means:
2. Diseased condition, as in tuberculosis.
3. Condition or process, as in osmosis.

Word History and Origins

Origin of -osis¹

On the model of Greek borrowings ending in Greek -ōsis, as sklērōsis sclerosis, derived originally from verbs ending in the formative -o- ( -ō- in noun derivatives), with the suffix -sis -sis

Word History and Origins

Origin of -osis¹

from Greek, suffix used to form nouns from verbs with infinitives in -oein or -oun

Example Sentences

The surgeons had called it something ending in osis and prescribed finally "light duty."

From Project Gutenberg