malacia

[muh-ley-shuh, -shee-uh, -see-uh]

noun

Pathology.

1. softening, or loss of consistency, of an organ or tissue.

2. an abnormal craving for highly spiced food.

malacia

/ məˈleɪʃɪə /

noun

1. the pathological softening of an organ or tissue, such as bone

Other Word Forms

• malacoid adjective
• malacotic adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of malacia¹

1650–60; < New Latin < Greek malakía softness, tenderness, weakness. See malaco-, -ia

Example Sentences

Maisie, who featured in BBC2's Great Ormond Street series last year, also has malacia of the airways, so her airways are floppy like the top of a balloon and do not hold their shape properly.

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