arteriolosclerosis
|ar-te-ri-o-lo-scle-ro-sis|
🇺🇸
/ˌɑrˌtɪriəloʊskləˈroʊsɪs/
🇬🇧
/ˌɑːtəriəʊləskləˈrəʊsɪs/
hardening of small arteries
Etymology
'arteriolosclerosis' originates from modern medical formation combining elements from New Latin and Greek: 'arteriole' (from New Latin 'arteriola', diminutive of Latin 'arteria', ultimately from Greek 'arteria') meaning 'small artery', and Greek 'sclerosis' (from 'sklērosis') meaning 'hardening'.
'arteria' (Greek) passed into Latin as 'arteria'; New Latin formed the diminutive 'arteriola' ('small artery'), which with Greek 'sclerosis' ('hardening') was combined in modern medical English to create 'arteriolosclerosis'.
Initially the components separately meant 'small artery' and 'hardening'; over time they combined into a single technical term meaning the pathological 'hardening of arterioles'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
pathological thickening and hardening of the walls of arterioles (small arteries), often causing narrowing of the lumen; commonly associated with hypertension and diabetes. Includes subtypes such as hyaline arteriolosclerosis and hyperplastic arteriolosclerosis.
Arteriolosclerosis can reduce blood flow to the kidneys and contribute to renal dysfunction.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2025/10/22 03:08