xerostomia

American

[zeer-uh-stoh-mee-uh] / ˌzɪər əˈstoʊ mi ə /

noun

Pathology.

dryness of the mouth caused by diminished function of the salivary glands due to aging, disease, drug reaction, etc.

xerostomia British

/ ˌziːrəˈstəʊmɪə /

noun

abnormal lack of saliva; dryness of the mouth

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of xerostomia

1885–90; xero- + New Latin -stomia a condition of the mouth, as specified by the 1st element; -stome, -ia

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.

The grant from the National Institutes of Health is meant to study the problem of dry mouth or xerostomia, a result of decreased saliva flow from under-functioning salivary glands.

From Washington Times

What it means: Dry mouth, or xerostomia, occurs when the mouth doesn’t produce enough saliva.

From Time

Yeast infections of the mouth, which are most common among denture-wearers, can spell trouble for your breath, and so can xerostomia – a condition more commonly known as dry mouth.

From US News

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023