edema
Americannoun
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effusion of serous fluid into the interstices of cells in tissue spaces or into body cavities.
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Plant Pathology.
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a small surface swelling of plant parts, caused by excessive moisture.
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any disease so characterized.
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noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of edema
First recorded in 1490–1500; from New Latin oedēma, from Greek oídēma “a swelling,” equivalent to oidē- (variant stem of oideîn “to swell”) + -ma noun suffix
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How does edema compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
The word edema means swelling from excessive accumulation of watery fluid in the tissues of the body. Edema often occurs in the feet, and could make it hard to comfortably fit into your shoes. First used as a 14th-century medical term, the noun edema is derived from the Greek word oidein meaning "to swell." Edema is a swelling that results from an excess of fluid trapped inside the body's tissue. It can be caused by certain diseases, some medications, sitting or standing in the same position for too long, or consuming a diet high in salt. Pregnant women often experience edema in their feet, ankles, and hands.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
It said he had been suffering from a range of conditions including "cerebral edema associated with severe neurological injury", a respiratory infection and renal failure.
From BBC ● May 31, 2026
The larger-than-life footballer died of heart failure and acute pulmonary edema -- a condition where fluid accumulates in the lungs -- two weeks after going under the knife.
From Barron's ● Apr. 23, 2026
Potential adverse events the companies knew about included depression, suicidal ideation, somnolence, edema, dizziness and confusion, documents from lawsuits show.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 25, 2025
Acute exposure by inhalation can cause respiratory issues such as difficulty breathing, congestion, edema and lung hemorrhages, while oral ingestion can cause adverse effects in the blood and thyroid.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 4, 2025
To keep Ngawang from having to exert himself, which would have exacerbated his edema, at several points during the descent, Beidleman picked up the ailing Sherpa and carried him on his back.
From "Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer
The two bodies he was embalming were opposites: one small and bony, almost to the point of emaciation, the other large, the legs and feet swelling with edemas.
From New York Times ● Nov. 1, 2022
Such an attack may occur suddenly in a heart that is perfectly compensating, or it may accompany general edemas and dropsies.
From Disturbances of the Heart by Osborne, Oliver T. (Oliver Thomas)
In this manner it is easy to differentiate post-operative or post-traumatic edemas which may or may not cause lameness.
From Lameness of the Horse Veterinary Practitioners' Series, No. 1 by Lacroix, John Victor
The edemas and carbuncles may also appear in the mouth, pharynx, larynx, in the tongue, and in the rectum.
From Special Report on Diseases of Cattle by United States. Bureau of Animal Industry
Much harm has been done, however, and death has been caused by saline purgatives in endeavoring to relieve edemas from a failing heart or to prevent a uremia from kidney inflammation.
From Disturbances of the Heart by Osborne, Oliver T. (Oliver Thomas)
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
