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DictionaryRoot: -osis
Greek

-osis

a process, state, or condition

Forms

  • -osis
  • -ose — One later development in substance names.

Origin

A Greek action-noun ending, often formed from verbs in -oun.

Note

Medical use made it familiar in condition names, but disease is not its universal meaning.

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An anatomically recognizable cirrhotic liver with an irregular nodular surface and a cut section revealing thick fibrous scar bands surrounding regenerative nodules and distorting the internal tissue.
noun

cirrhosis

suh-ROH-sis/səˈrəʊsɪs/

Chronic scarring of the liver that impairs its function.

Etymology
cirrhGreektawny, yellow-brown
+osisGreeka process, state, or condition

The tawny color root and disease suffix name a condition by the orange-yellow appearance of the diseased liver. The name highlights its color, while the selected meaning focuses on chronic scarring.

Full entry

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