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  

/ ˌdaɪəˈbiːtɪs, -tiːz /

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

Her medical history of chronic conditions — including diabetes, hypertension, obesity and severe asthma — made her pregnancy particularly high-risk.

From Salon ● Sep. 17, 2026

But AstraZeneca is also due to release data on a cholesterol pill, combinations including its diabetes, heart and kidney medicine Farxiga, and other oncology drugs, the analysts add.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 16, 2026

It brought to market Ozempic for Type 2 diabetes in 2017 and Wegovy for weight loss in 2021.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 14, 2026

As well as paying tribute to his father, Zverev also thanked his mother for her support following his type 1 diabetes diagnosis as a child.

From BBC ● Sep. 14, 2026

Kids were being diagnosed with high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes at record rates.

From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama