-itis

views updated May 14 2018

-itis suffix repr. Gr. -itis, prop. forming fems. of adjs. in -ī́tēs, used to qualify nósos disease, as arthrîtis (disease) of the joints (árthron), pleurîtis pleurisy (pleur side, rib). On the analogy of these -itis came into use in mod. medical L. esp. for names of inflammatory diseases, as APPENDICITIS, BRONCHITIS, MENINGITIS, TONSILLITIS. The deriv. adjs. end in -itic.

-itis

views updated May 23 2018

-itis combining form denoting inflammation of an organ, tissue, etc.