pruritus
Americannoun
noun
-
any intense sensation of itching
-
any of various conditions characterized by intense itching
Other Word Forms
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
Itching or pruritus about the anus may accompany the trouble to a very annoying extent, being an evidence that the anal pockets are becoming much diseased.
From Intestinal Ills Chronic Constipation, Indigestion, Autogenetic Poisons, Diarrhea, Piles, Etc. Also Auto-Infection, Auto-Intoxication, Anemia, Emaciation, Etc. Due to Proctitis and Colitis by Jamison, Alcinous B. (Alcinous Burton)
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.
