appendicitis

American  

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

noun

Pathology.

1. inflammation of the vermiform appendix.

---

appendicitis British  

/ əˌpɛndɪˈsaɪtɪs /

noun

1. inflammation of the vermiform appendix

---

appendicitis Scientific  

/ ə-pĕn′dĭ-sī′tĭs /

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

---

appendicitis Cultural  

1. Inflammation of the appendix.

---

Other Word Forms

Derived 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

APPENDICITIS, the modern medical term for inflammation of that part of the intestine which is known as the “appendix.”

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 2, Slice 3 "Apollodorus" to "Aral" by Various