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; 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

This method estimates FM and FFM based on individual characteristics such as height, weight, age, race, gender, history of diabetes, and duration of GLP-1 treatment.

From Science Daily • Apr. 9, 2026

That’s up from 3% at the start of the year, but relatively low compared with adoption among patients with Type 2 diabetes, which came in at around 26% last year.

From Barron's • Apr. 7, 2026

Unlike Wegovy or tirzepatide, which Lilly markets as Zepbound for obesity and as Mounjaro for Type 2 diabetes, orforglipron is not a peptide.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 1, 2026

Lilly, by contrast, is flush with cash from its blockbuster obesity and diabetes drugs and is choosing to stay focused on small deals.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 31, 2026

My investigative skills uncovering that Fig had diabetes, and the vet’s confirmation.

From "Sir Fig Newton and the Science of Persistence" by Sonja Thomas