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

See Examples For:

diabetes

A woman who freezes her eggs at 30 and uses them at 40 still experiences pregnancy at 40, with the higher risks of preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, and cesarean delivery that accompany advanced maternal age.

From Slate ● Aug. 29, 2026

As part of plans to reduce its reliance on the core obesity and diabetes franchises, the company is working to broaden its drug offering to include more treatments for related diseases.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 27, 2026

Age-adjusted mortality rates have fallen by 17% since 2000 and 30% since 1980, notwithstanding the opioid epidemic and increases in chronic diseases like diabetes and obesity.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 27, 2026

The research focused on Type 1 diabetes, a lifelong autoimmune disease that affects about 2 million people in the U.S.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 26, 2026

In most patients, Type I diabetes spurs the appetite, sometimes to extremes.

From "Seabiscuit: An American Legend" by Laura Hillenbrand