noun
lupus
LOO-pus/ˈluːpəs/
An autoimmune disease that causes inflammation in the body's tissues.
The clinician examines the woman's sore wrist and facial rash associated with lupus.
Etymology
The wolf name was apparently applied to ulcerating skin diseases because they seemed to “devour” the affected part. That older medical usage underlies the name of the autoimmune disease.
In context
because one of the manifestations of lupus is inflammatory arthritis but on top of it lupus is a multi-system disease so there are a lot of other systems that can get involved
More examples
- Fatigue is a common symptom of lupus.
- People with lupus often need regular medical checkups.
- Her lupus flares up after too much time in the sun.
Similar words
- lupus erythematosus
- The fuller medical name for this autoimmune disease.