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Medical terms glossary page 9

Medical terms explained in plain English. 2,035 words and meanings, most familiar first.

Word	Meaning
cicatrization noun	The process of forming a cicatrix; the state of being cicatrized.
cine noun	Images of the heart taken by fluoroscopy.
circinate adjective	Round or ring-shaped, particularly with distinct margins forming some sort of motive; annular.
cirsoid adjective	Varicose
clerkship noun	Clinical training for physicians during the second half of medical school.
clitoridectomy noun	The surgical procedure to remove all or part of the clitoris; female circumcision
clonism noun	Clonus; clonic spasm
clonus noun	A muscular spasm with regular contractions.
clubfoot noun	A congenital deformity of the foot in which the ankle, heel and toes are twisted.
clubhand noun	A short, distorted hand.
cobblestoned adjective	Exhibiting cobblestoning.
coccidioidomycosis noun	An infectious respiratory disease caused by inhalation of the fungus Coccidioides immitis.
colchicum noun	The dried seed of the poisonous meadow saffron, Colchicum autumnale, used medicinally.
colistin noun	A polymixin antibiotic effective against a range of gram-negative bacteria, sometimes considered a last-resort antibiotic.
colitis noun	Inflammation of the colon.
coloboma noun	An abnormal hole present from birth in one of the structures of the eye, such as the lens, eyelid, or retina.
colotomy noun	Any incisional operation on the colon.
comedo noun	A blackhead or whitehead.
concanavalin noun	Any of a family of glycoprotein lectins found in the jack bean
concretization noun	An inability to generalize or perform abstraction accompanied by excessive concentration on specific details, as in a mental disorder or in cognition by children.
condyloma noun	A wartlike growth on the skin or a mucous membrane, caused by certain types of HPV viruses, usually occurring in the genital area
confusional adjective	Characterized by confusion.
coniosis noun	Any disease caused by the inhalation of dust.
conjunctivitis noun	An inflammation of the conjunctiva, often due to infection.
contracture noun	An abnormal, sometimes permanent, contraction of a muscle or skin; a deformity so caused.
contraindicate verb	To make inadvisable; to warn against a specific medicine or treatment.
contraindication noun	A factor or symptom which makes a certain treatment inadvisable, generally or individually.
corticoid noun	Any substance (especially a drug) whose action is similar to that of a hormone of the adrenal cortex
coryza noun	Inflammation of the mucous membranes lining the nasal cavity, usually causing a running nose, nasal congestion and loss of smell.
counterirritant noun	Any substance used to cause inflammation in one part of the body with the goal of lessening inflammation elsewhere.
coxitis noun	Inflammation of the hip joint.
craniofacial adjective	Pertaining to the cranium and face, as with craniofacial surgery.
craniotomy noun	The surgical procedure for removing a part of the skull, called a bone flap, prior to a treatment. The bone flap is replaced at the end of the operation.
croupous adjective	Relating to or resembling croup; especially, attended with the formation of a deposit or membrane like that found in membranous croup.
cryoprobe noun	An instrument used to apply extreme cold to a tissue as part of cryosurgery.
cryosurgery noun	The use of a probe containing liquid nitrogen to freeze and thus destroy tissue.
cryptococcal adjective	Of or pertaining to cryptococcus fungi or cryptococcosis.
cupping noun	Fire cupping, a traditional therapeutic treatment called in which heated cupping glasses are applied to the skin, supposedly to draw blood towards the surface.
curarization noun	Neuromuscular block
curettage noun	The removal of unwanted tissue from a body cavity using a curette.
curette noun	A hand-held surgical instrument, often with a scoop or hook at its tip, used for cleaning or debriding biological tissue.
cutdown noun	An emergency medical procedure in which the vein is exposed and a cannula is inserted into it.
cyanosed adjective	Afflicted with cyanosis.
cyanosis noun	A blue discolouration of the skin due to the circulation of blood low in oxygen.
cyanotic adjective	Resembling or afflicted with cyanosis.
cyclothymia noun	A chronic mental disturbance characterized by mood swings and depression.
cysticercosis noun	A parasitic infestation of the voluntary muscles, lungs, central nervous system and other organs, caused by the ingestion of eggs of the tapeworm Taenia solium.
cystinuria noun	The presence of cystine in the urine
cystitis noun	Inflammation of the urinary bladder.
cystolith noun	A urinary calculus.
cytogenetically adverb	By means or in terms of cytogenetics, the genetics of the cell
debag verb	To perform blepharoplasty to remove eyebags.
debouchment noun	Opening or emptying into another part
debridement noun	The removal of dead, damaged, or infected tissue to improve the healing potential of the remaining healthy tissue.
decompensate verb	To deteriorate in function due to an inability to invoke normal defensive mechanisms that compensate for ailments and other stresses.
decompensation noun	The inability of a diseased or weakened organic system or organ to compensate for its deficiency, resulting in functional deterioration.
defibrinate verb	(of blood) To remove fibrin from; to deprive of fibrin.
dehiscence noun	A rupture, as with a surgical wound opening up, often with a flow of serous fluid.
dehiscent adjective	Of or pertaining to dehiscence, i.e., a rupture, as with a surgical wound opening up, often with a flow of serous fluid
demyelination noun	The removal of the myelin sheath from a nerve fibre, usually as a result of disease causing myelinolysis.
denervate verb	To deprive (an organ) of a nerve supply.
denervation noun	The removal or blocking of a nerve connection to tissue, such as by surgical or chemical means
denticle noun	A pulp stone.
depigmentation noun	The loss of the skin's normal pigmentation.
dermatitis noun	Inflammation of the skin.
dermatology noun	The study of the skin and its diseases.
dermatosis noun	Any disease of the skin.
desmoid adjective	Fibrous; having closely interwoven fibres in bundles.
desquamation noun	The shedding of the outer layers of the skin.
detoxication noun	Any treatment of a patient suffering from poisoning that promotes physiological process to reduce the effects
diabetogenic adjective	That produces diabetes
dialyzer noun	The part of a hemodialysis machine that performs filtration by unequal diffusion through membranes
diathermic adjective	Of or pertaining to diathermy
diathermy noun	The generation of heat using high-frequency electromagnetic currents; especially the therapeutic production of heat in tissues in order to form coagulation
diathesis noun	A hereditary or constitutional predisposition to a disease or other disorder.

Word	Meaning
dichromatism noun	A form of colourblindness in which only two of the three primary colours can be distinguished
dicrotic adjective	Denoting a pulse in which a double beat is detectable for each beat of the heart.
diphtheritic adjective	Resembling or related to diphtheria.
diplegia noun	Paralysis that affects symmetrically opposed parts of the body.
diplopia noun	An ophthalmologic condition where one perceives two images; double vision.
diplopic adjective	Of, relating to, featuring, or affected by diplopia.
disintoxicate verb	To neutralize the intoxicating effects of
dispensatory noun	A book containing a systematic description of drugs and of preparations made from them.
disseminated adjective	Spread over a wide area of the body or of an organ
diverticulitis noun	An infection of the diverticulum.
diverticulosis noun	The condition of having diverticula, or small pouches, formed along the mucosa of the colon.
dolichocephaly noun	The quality or condition of being dolichocephalic.
dossil noun	A small roll or plug used to stop a sore, wound, etc.; a pledget.
dysgenesis noun	Defective development
dysmenorrhea noun	Painful menstruation (menstrual pain), viewed as a symptom in any of various disorders.
dyspepsia noun	Any mild disorder of digestion, characterised by stomach pain, discomfort, heartburn and nausea, often following a meal.
dysphagia noun	Difficulty in swallowing.
dysphasia noun	Loss of or deficiency in the power to use or understand language as a result of injury or disease of the brain.
dysphonia noun	A difficulty in producing vocal sounds.
dysplasia noun	Abnormal development of cells or tissue, often a precancerous stage of growth.
dystocia noun	A slow or difficult labour or delivery.
dystonia noun	A disabling neurological disorder in which prolonged and repetitive contractions of muscles cause jerking, twisting movements and abnormal postures of the body
dystonic noun	A person who has dystonia.
dysuria noun	The experience or condition of experiencing pain while discharging urine, or (rarely) of having difficulty doing so.
earwax noun	A waxy substance secreted by the ear.
ecbolic adjective	Producing abortion of a fetus or accelerating childbirth, oxytocic.
ecchymotic adjective	Pertaining to, characterised by or showing signs of ecchymosis.
echocardiogram noun	The visual image formed by an echocardiograph.
eclampsia noun	A complication of pregnancy characterized by seizures and coma due to hypertension.
ecraseur noun	A surgical instrument intended to replace the knife in many operations, the parts operated on being severed by the crushing effect produced by the gradual tightening of a chain to avoid haemorrhage.
ectatic adjective	Of or relating to ectasia.
ectopia noun	The condition where an organ or other body part has an abnormal position.
ectopic adjective	Being out of place, having an abnormal position.
edematous adjective	Afflicted with edema.
electroconvulsive adjective	Causing seizures or convulsions by means of strong electrical shocks.
electrooculogram noun	A record of the voltage differences between the front and back of the eye as the eyeball moves.
electrosurgery noun	The application of high-frequency electric current to tissue as a means to cut, coagulate, desiccate, or fulgurate it
electrosurgical adjective	Relating to electrosurgery
electuary noun	Any preparation of a medicine mixed with honey or other sweetener in order to make it more palatable to swallow.
elephantiasis noun	A complication of chronic filariasis, in which nematode worms block the lymphatic vessels, usually in the legs or scrotum, causing extreme enlargement of the infected area.
embolectomy noun	Surgical removal of an embolus to relieve an embolism.
embolic adjective	Of or relating to an embolus or an embolism.
embolization noun	A nonsurgical, minimally invasive procedure that effects the selective occlusion of blood vessels by purposely introducing emboli.
embolus noun	An obstruction causing an embolism: a blood clot, air bubble or other matter carried by the bloodstream and causing a blockage or occlusion of a blood vessel.
emmenagogue noun	An herb that stimulates blood flow in the pelvic area and uterus, causing menstruation.
emphysematous adjective	Related, similar to or involving emphysema; swollen, bloated.
encephalogram noun	An image of the brain obtained by encephalography.
encephalography noun	An X-ray examination of the brain in which air replaces some of the cerebrospinal fluid to act as a contrast medium
encephalomyelitis noun	Inflammation of the brain and spinal cord.
encephalopathy noun	Any of various conditions affecting the brain.
encysted adjective	Contained in a cyst.
endarterectomy noun	The surgical procedure to remove plaque from an artery.
endermic adjective	Acting through the skin, or by direct application to the skin.
endobiotic adjective	Originating within an organ or biological system.
endocarditis noun	An inflammation of the endocardium and possibly the heart valves.
endometritis noun	Inflammation of the endometrium.
endoscopy noun	The examination of a bodily orifice, canal or organ using an endoscope.
enface adjective	For a section of tissue: cut tangentially to an area of interest.
entasia noun	Tonic spasm; any disease characterized by tonic spasms, such as tetanus or trismus
entastic adjective	Of or relating to any disease characterized by tonic spasms.
enteritis noun	Inflammation of the intestines, generally the small intestine, that may lead to diarrhea.
enterocolitis noun	Inflammation of the mucous membranes of the small intestine and of the colon
enteropathy noun	An intestinal disorder or disease.
enterostomy noun	The construction of a permanent opening into the intestine through the abdominal wall.
enthetic adjective	Caused by a morbific pathogen implanted in the system.
entopic adjective	In the usual place, referring to medical or anatomical objects.
entropion noun	An inversion (turning inward) of the margin of the eyelid
enucleation noun	The surgical removal of an intact organ, especially of the eye and of cysts and tumors.
eosinophilia noun	The condition of having a high concentration of eosinophils (eosinophil granulocytes) in the blood.
epidermoid noun	An epidermoid cyst
epididymitis noun	Inflammation of the epididymis
epileptoid adjective	Resembling epilepsy.
episiotomy noun	A surgical incision through the perineum made to enlarge the vagina and assist childbirth.
epithelioma noun	Any tumor that originates in the epithelium
erethic adjective	Abnormally excited.

Meanings from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0). Sources