appendicitis

American  

[uh-pen-duh-sahy-tis] / əˌpɛn dəˈsaɪ tɪs /

noun

Pathology.

1. inflammation of the vermiform appendix.

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appendicitis British  

/ əˌpɛndɪˈsaɪtɪs /

noun

1. inflammation of the vermiform appendix

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appendicitis Scientific  

/ ə-pĕn′dĭ-sī′tĭs /

1. Inflammation of the appendix, usually caused by a blockage or infection.

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appendicitis Cultural  

1. Inflammation of the appendix.

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Other Word Forms

• pseudoappendicitis
  noun

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Etymology

Origin of appendicitis

1885–90, < New Latin, equivalent to Latin appendic- (stem of appendix ) appendix + New Latin -ītis -itis

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Explanation

Appendicitis is a painful medical condition caused by a swollen appendix. To keep the appendix from bursting, doctors often perform surgery to remove the appendix of patients who have appendicitis. People suffering from appendicitis often end up in the emergency room, because it causes so much pain. The pain of appendicitis usually starts near the belly button and spreads throughout the lower right part of the abdomen as the appendix becomes more swollen and inflamed. Appendicitis was first identified and named in the 1880s, from the Latin root appendix, "something attached," which describes the way your appendix is attached to your intestine.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

appendicitis

What appears to be appendicitis turns out to be severe constipation, a public announcement I’m sure his schoolmates will handle with grace and maturity.

From Salon ● Aug. 23, 2026

Yet it can become inflamed, causing appendicitis – a potentially life-threatening condition.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 11, 2026

Slade was a late call-up to the matchday 23 who lost to South Africa last Saturday, filling in on the bench after starting full-back George Furbank suffered an appendicitis.

From BBC ● Jul. 9, 2026

He estimates it costs 15%-20% more at public Swedish hospitals to treat conditions such as appendicitis than at his hospital.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 12, 2026

“Fortunately,” he said, “I got appendicitis in the middle of it and almost died. Best thing that ever happened to me. I couldn’t go back to school for three weeks. How are you feeling?”

From "Okay for Now" by Gary D. Schmidt

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