pruritus
Americannoun
noun
-
any intense sensation of itching
-
any of various conditions characterized by intense itching
Other Word Forms
- pruritic adjective
Etymology
Origin of pruritus
1375–1425; late Middle English < Latin prūrītus an itching, equivalent to prūrī ( re ) to itch + -tus suffix of v. action
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.
Linerixibat—which isn’t currently approved anywhere in the world—is a treatment for cholestatic pruritus, an internal itch caused by a liver disease called primary biliary cholangitis.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 9, 2026
The study involved a total of 20 patients, half of whom had prurigo nodularis and half of whom had chronic pruritus of unknown origin.
From Science Daily • Jun. 6, 2024
And people with pruritus ani, the technical term for itchy anus, are often cautioned to avoid toilet paper, leading them to bidets.
From Seattle Times • Dec. 22, 2021
Earlier versions of this article, including the May 17, 2011 print edition of The Washington Post, incorrectly referred to aquagenic pruritus as aquagenic pruritis.
From Washington Post • May 16, 2011
When pruritus develops in the old in connection with phases of arterial degeneration—its most intractable form—it is important to remember that diversion of mind is the most important therapeutic agent that we have.
From Psychotherapy by Walsh, James J. (James Joseph)
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.
