stenosis
|ste-no-sis|
🇺🇸
/stɪˈnoʊsɪs/
🇬🇧
/stɪˈnəʊsɪs/
abnormal narrowing
Etymology
'stenosis' originates from New Latin, specifically the word 'stenosis', where the prefix 'steno-' meant 'narrow' and the suffix '-osis' meant 'a state, condition, or diseased condition'.
'stenosis' came into English from New Latin (medical usage), which itself was formed from Ancient Greek 'stenosis' (στένωσις) derived from 'stenos' meaning 'narrow'. Over time the term entered modern medical English with specialized clinical use.
Initially it meant simply 'narrowness' or 'a state of being narrow'; over time it evolved to denote specifically a pathological or clinically significant narrowing (i.e., a medical condition).
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
an abnormal narrowing of a bodily passage or opening (for example, a blood vessel, heart valve, spinal canal, or other duct), often causing restricted flow or pressure on nearby structures.
The surgeon explained that the patient's aortic stenosis was causing reduced blood flow and symptoms of heart failure.
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Verb 1
to cause (a passage, vessel, or opening) to become narrowed; to undergo narrowing (i.e., to develop stenosis). (This entry corresponds to the verb form 'stenose', a transformation of the base noun 'stenosis'.)
Chronic inflammation can eventually lead to stenosis of the airway, making breathing difficult.
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Last updated: 2025/08/31 13:49