aphagia
|a-pha-gia|
/əˈfeɪdʒə/
absence of swallowing / can't swallow
Etymology
'aphagia' originates from New Latin/medical usage, ultimately from Greek: prefix 'a-' (meaning 'without') + 'phagein' (to eat), forming 'aphagia'.
'aphagia' came into medical/Latin usage from Greek 'ἀφαγία' (aphagía) and was adopted into English in medical contexts with little change in form.
Initially formed to mean 'without eating,' it has come to be used specifically for the medical condition of inability or refusal to swallow.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
the inability or refusal to swallow (complete loss of the ability to take food by mouth), often due to neurological injury or disease.
The stroke patient developed aphagia and required tube feeding.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2025/09/15 18:56