keratosis

[ker-uh-toh-sis]

noun

Pathology.

plural

keratoses 

1. any horny growth of keratin on the skin, as a wart.

2. any horny growth of keratin elsewhere, as on the tonsils.

keratosis

/ ˌkɛrəˈtəʊsɪs /

noun

1. any skin condition marked by a horny growth, such as a wart

2. a horny growth

Other Word Forms

• keratosic adjective
• keratotic adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of keratosis¹

First recorded in 1880–85; kerat- + -osis

Example Sentences

In an exploratory operation, doctors at St George's found keratosis - lesions or white patches on the vocal chords in Tyler's throat - due to the growth of the protein keratin, usually found in skin and hair.

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O’Conner said in a memo released by the White House that a biopsy showed that the legion was seborrheic keratosis, a “very common, totally harmless, non-cancerous growth.”

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Leukoplakia, also called 'smokers keratosis', can be caused by repeated injury and irritation or exposure to smoking and alcohol.

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Q: Is there a natural way to get rid of seborrheic keratosis?

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“It’s a noncancerous seborrheic keratosis, but our guy has to wait six weeks for a doctor’s appointment and spends that time moping around, wishing he’d stopped to smell the roses more often.”

Read more on Washington Post