scoliosis
Americannoun
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of scoliosis
First recorded in 1700–10, scoliosis is from the Greek word skolíōsis a bending
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Explanation
When a person's spine curves to the side, he or she has a medical condition called scoliosis. A human spine, or backbone, is usually straight; when it curves in an S or C shape, it's often because of scoliosis. When a patient is diagnosed with scoliosis, he or she receives physical therapy and sometimes needs to wear a brace that helps to gradually straighten the spine. The Greek word skoliosis literally means "crookedness," from the root skolios, "bent or crooked."
Vocabulary lists containing scoliosis
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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.
I had scoliosis, braces, thick glasses, stood 5-foot-9 and wanted to be cool.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 26, 2026
The technique also successfully repaired mutations linked to scoliosis in zebrafish embryos.
From Science Daily • Oct. 25, 2025
Surgeons inserted titanium rods into her spine to correct a curvature caused by scoliosis when she was 12 years old and she spent 10 days on her back after the operation.
From BBC • May 18, 2025
Lamis Abusalim has severe scoliosis that, if left untreated, could compress her lungs and eventually kill her.
From BBC • Oct. 11, 2024
A month ago, Danny Brooks, the eighth grader with a scoliosis brace, was picked six slots ahead of me for a round of dodgeball.
From "Better Nate Than Ever" by Tim Federle
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.
