anoxias
|a-nox-i-a|
🇺🇸
/ˌænˈɑːk.si.ə/
🇬🇧
/ˌænˈɒk.si.ə/
(anoxia)
absence of oxygen
Etymology
'anoxia' originates from Modern Latin/Greek, specifically from the prefix 'an-' (Greek ἀν-, meaning 'without') combined with Greek 'oxys' (ὀξύς, used in 'oxygen'), where 'oxys' related to 'sharp/acid' and was later associated with oxygen.
'anoxia' was formed in New Latin/medical English in the 19th century from Greek elements 'an-' + 'oxys' and entered English usage as the medical term 'anoxia'.
Initially coined to denote a lack or absence of oxygen, the term has retained that core meaning but has broadened to cover both medical conditions (tissue oxygen deprivation) and ecological phenomena (low oxygen in water bodies).
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a medical condition in which body tissues are deprived of oxygen; severe oxygen deficiency in the body.
Several anoxias were reported in the high‑altitude climbing group, requiring urgent evacuation.
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Noun 2
an environmental state in which a body of water or an ecosystem has extremely low dissolved oxygen levels, often causing die-offs (also called hypoxic events or dead zones).
Coastal anoxias during the summer have led to fish kills in the bay.
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Last updated: 2025/08/19 18:22