diabetes

American  

[dahy-uh-bee-tis, -teez] / ˌdaɪ əˈbi tɪs, -tiz /

noun

Pathology.

1. any of several disorders characterized by increased urine production.

2. Also called diabetes mellitus.  a disorder of carbohydrate metabolism, usually occurring in genetically predisposed individuals, characterized by inadequate production or utilization of insulin and resulting in excessive amounts of glucose in the blood and urine, excessive thirst, weight loss, and in some cases progressive destruction of small blood vessels leading to such complications as infections and gangrene of the limbs or blindness.

3. type 1 diabetes.

4. type 2 diabetes.

5. Also called diabetes insipidus.  increased urine production caused by inadequate secretion of vasopressin by the pituitary gland.

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diabetes British  

/ -tiːz, ˌdaɪəˈbiːtɪs /

noun

1. any of various disorders, esp diabetes mellitus, characterized by excretion of an abnormally large amount of urine

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Etymology

Origin of diabetes

First recorded in 1555–65; from New Latin, Latin, from Greek, equivalent to diabē- (variant stem of diabaínein “to go through, pass over,” equivalent to dia- “through” + baínein “to pass”) + -tēs agent suffix; see dia-

Explanation

When a person has the medical condition called diabetes, the body can’t produce enough insulin to process the glucose in the blood. Diabetes has been known since the first century B.C.E., when a Greek physician, Aretus the Cappadocian, named it diabainein, meaning "a siphon," referring to the excessive urination associated with the disease. The word diabetes was first recorded in 1425, and in 1675, the Greek mellitus, “like honey,” was added, to reflect the sweet smell and taste of the patient’s urine. An unrelated and rare disorder, diabetes insipidus, is usually caused by a hormone deficiency.

Example Sentences

Diabetes is one of the fastest-growing health challenges worldwide, affecting hundreds of millions of people.

From Science Daily • Mar. 19, 2026

AstraZeneca plans to release trial results at the American Diabetes Association conference in June.

From MarketWatch • Feb. 10, 2026

He expects Amgen will report more detail from the Phase 2 study at the June meeting of the American Diabetes Association.

From Barron's • Jan. 15, 2026

Roughly 3.5 million adults have diagnosed diabetes in California, according to the American Diabetes Assn.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 1, 2026

The bold header across the top of the screen read Disney Marathon Fundraiser to Beat Diabetes!

From "Sir Fig Newton and the Science of Persistence" by Sonja Thomas