diabetes

[ dahy-uh-bee-tis, -teez ]

/ ˌdaɪ əˈbi tɪs, -tiz /

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noun Pathology.

any of several disorders characterized by increased urine production.

Also called di·a·be·tes mel·li·tus

[mel-i-tuhs, muh-lahy-]. /ˈmɛl ɪ təs, məˈlaɪ-/. 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.

type 1 diabetes.

type 2 diabetes.

Also called di·a·be·tes in·sip·i·dus

[in-sip-i-duhs]. /ɪnˈsɪp ɪ dəs/. increased urine production caused by inadequate secretion of vasopressin by the pituitary gland.

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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-

Words nearby diabetes

di, dia-, diabase, diabatic, Diabelli, diabetes, diabetes insipidus, diabetes mellitus, diabetic, diabetic ketoacidosis, diabetic retinopathy

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use diabetes in a sentence

Last year, there were also more deaths than typical from causes like cancer, diabetes, and Alzheimer’s disease.
How to Be Better at Death (Ep. 450)|Maria Konnikova|February 4, 2021|Freakonomics
Together, the ladies talked through a few dietary changes we can all implement to ensure that we’re taking a preventative approach to fighting diabetes in our communities.
Diabetes Prevention: 3 Things You Can Start Doing Now To Help Reduce Your Risk|Rachaell Davis|February 2, 2021|Essence.com
Infected in April while working in a covid-19 ward in a Richmond hospital, the 40-year-old was diagnosed with diabetes in October.
New diabetes cases linked to covid-19|Erin Blakemore|February 1, 2021|Washington Post
That finding, from a large, long-term study, suggests that doctors should pay careful attention to the hearts of people who previously had gestational diabetes.
Diabetes during pregnancy is tied to heart trouble later in life|Laura Sanders|February 1, 2021|Science News

Sometimes pancreatic cancer can present with new-onset diabetes, especially if it’s associated with weight loss instead of weight gain.
How to Fix the Incentives in Cancer Research (Ep. 449)|Stephen J. Dubner|January 28, 2021|Freakonomics
Some were elderly with underlying conditions like hypertension and diabetes.
Did This Flu Vaccine Kill 13?|Barbie Latza Nadeau|December 2, 2014|DAILY BEAST
In refined form, sugar (also known as sucrose) has been linked to everything from heart disease to diabetes.
Are Artificial Sweeteners Wrecking Your Diet?|DailyBurn|September 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The researchers found that the fake stuff drives the kind of glucose intolerance that can lead to diabetes in human.
Are Artificial Sweeteners Wrecking Your Diet?|DailyBurn|September 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
These diets are implicated in the development of diabetes, which is a potent risk factor for developing heart disease.
The Heart Association’s Junk Science Diet|Dr. Barbara H. Roberts|May 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST
They are much more likely to have metabolic syndrome—a condition that puts you at high risk for diabetes and heart disease.
The Heart Association’s Junk Science Diet|Dr. Barbara H. Roberts|May 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST
It is low in chronic interstitial nephritis, diabetes insipidus, and many functional nervous disorders.
A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis|James Campbell Todd
As a rule, however, persistent glycosuria is diagnostic of diabetes mellitus, of which disease it is the essential symptom.
A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis|James Campbell Todd
In diabetes its presence is a grave symptom and often forewarns of approaching coma.
A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis|James Campbell Todd
The latter condition may be diagnosed as true diabetes by a number of physicians, but it is only a symptom of hysteria.
Essays In Pastoral Medicine|Austin Malley
Persistent furunculosis is not infrequent in diabetes mellitus.
Essentials of Diseases of the Skin|Henry Weightman Stelwagon

British Dictionary definitions for diabetes

diabetes

/ (ˌdaɪəˈbiːtɪs, -tiːz) /

noun

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

Word Origin for diabetes

C16: from Latin: siphon, from Greek, literally: a passing through (referring to the excessive urination), from diabainein to pass through, cross over; see diabase

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012