malacia
|ma-la-ci-a|
/məˈleɪʃə/
pathological softening
Etymology
'malacia' originates from Ancient Greek, specifically the word 'malakos', where 'malak-' meant 'soft', combined with the nominal suffix '-ia' to form a state or condition.
'malacia' entered scientific/medical English via New Latin/medical Latin (formation of compound terms such as 'osteomalacia' in the 19th century), deriving from Greek 'malakos' plus the suffix '-ia'.
Initially it simply signified 'softness' from Greek, but over time its usage narrowed in English to mean 'pathological softening' in medical terminology.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a pathological softening of a tissue or organ; used as a combining form or suffix in medical terms (e.g., osteomalacia — softening of bone).
Malacia denotes the pathological softening of tissue, as in conditions such as osteomalacia or chondromalacia.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2025/12/01 07:15