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

Etymology

Origin of appendicitis

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

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

Physicians treating patients after car crashes or appendicitis have spotted clusters of pearls in the stomach and intestines.

From Science Daily • Mar. 1, 2026

Otamendi Hospital said she underwent laparoscopic surgery, which confirmed the diagnosis of "appendicitis with localized peritonitis," and that she was recovering "without postoperative complications".

From Barron's • Dec. 21, 2025

Three hours later, a doctor told her she had appendicitis and would require emergency surgery.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 11, 2025

Eight years earlier, the Texas Medical Board found that he had failed to diagnose appendicitis in one patient and syphilis in another.

From Salon • Nov. 1, 2024

Ail I knew was that you went to a surgeon to fix you when you had appendicitis.

From "The Kite Runner" by Khaled Hosseini