gastroenteritis
|gas-tro-en-te-ri-tis|
🇺🇸
/ˌɡæstroʊˌɛn.təˈraɪ.tɪs/
🇬🇧
/ˌɡæstrəʊˌɛn.təˈraɪtɪs/
inflammation of the stomach and intestines
Etymology
'gastroenteritis' originates from Greek, specifically the words 'gaster' meaning 'stomach' and 'enteron' meaning 'intestine', combined with the medical suffix '-itis' meaning 'inflammation'.
'gaster' and 'enteron' entered New Latin/Neo-Latin medical usage as a compound (e.g. 'gastro-enteritis'), which was adopted into English as 'gastroenteritis' in medical contexts.
Initially, the components literally meant 'stomach' and 'intestine' and the combined term meant 'inflammation of the stomach and intestines'; over time it has retained that specific medical meaning.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
inflammation of the stomach and intestines, typically causing diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and sometimes fever; often caused by infection (viral, bacterial, or parasitic) or toxins.
She was hospitalized for acute gastroenteritis after several days of severe vomiting and diarrhea.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2025/08/22 03:17