rheumatism
Americannoun
-
any disorder of the extremities or back, characterized by pain and stiffness.
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of rheumatism
1595–1605; < Latin rheumatismus catarrh, rheum < Greek rheumatismós, equivalent to rheumat- (stem of rheûma; see rheum) + -ismos -ism
Compare meaning
How does rheumatism compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
Rheumatism is a medical condition of painful inflammation in muscles, joints, or connective tissue. If you volunteer to help an elderly woman with rheumatism in her hands, you might help her write, or carry her bags. Rheumatism comes from the old Greek medical word rheum, which means flux or flow, and comes from outdated medical ideas about the flow of humors causing pain or stiffness in the joints. Now, rheumatism is defined as inflammation in the joints, muscles, or tissues. If someone has rheumatism, their movement is stiff and painful.
Vocabulary lists containing rheumatism
Of Mice and Men
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Persepolis
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Bless Me, Ultima
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The results of Dr Davidson's animal trials are published in the journal Arthritis & Rheumatism.
From BBC • Aug. 27, 2013
Rheumatism kept him from attending the Constitutional Convention at Philadelphia.
From Time Magazine Archive
Rheumatism combined with overwork have reduced Author Joyce to near-blindness : he wears thick spectacles, sometimes a black patch over his left eye.
From Time Magazine Archive
Last week at the meeting of the American Rheumatism Foundation in Bethesda, Md., some of the nation's most prominent rheumatologists suggested that aspirin would have been better left alone.
From Time Magazine Archive
“Weak chest. Wheezy. Rheumatism too. Can’t move like I used to. Well, that’s to be expected. Old age. Fatigue.”
From "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" by J.K. Rowling
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
