sclerosis

noun scle·ro·sis \sklə-ˈrō-səs\

medical : a disease in which soft parts inside the body (such as arteries or muscles) become hard

Full Definition of SCLEROSIS

: pathological hardening of tissue especially from overgrowth of fibrous tissue or increase in interstitial tissue; also : a disease characterized by sclerosis

: an inability or reluctance to adapt or compromise <political sclerosis>

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Origin of SCLEROSIS

Middle English sclirosis tumor, from Medieval Latin, from Greek sklērōsis hardening, from sklēroun to harden, from sklēros

First Known Use: 1846

Other Medicine Terms

analgesia, angina, diabetes, hepatitis, homeopathy, logorrhea, palliate, pandemic

Rhymes with SCLEROSIS

cirrhosis, hypnosis, kenosis, lordosis, meiosis, miosis, mitosis, narcosis, necrosis, neurosis, orthosis, osmosis, prognosis, psychosis, stenosis, thrombosis

Medical Dictionary

sclerosis

noun scle·ro·sis \sklə-ˈrō-səs\

plural scle·ro·ses \-ˌsēz\

Medical Definition of SCLEROSIS

: a pathological condition in which a tissue has become hard and which is produced by overgrowth of fibrous tissue and other changes (as in arteriosclerosis) or by increase in interstitial tissue and other changes (as in multiple sclerosis)—called also hardening

: any of various diseases characterized by sclerosis—usually used in combination; see arteriosclerosis, multiple sclerosis, myelosclerosis