Acromegaly
/ˌækroʊˈmɛɡəli/noun
A hormonal disorder in which excess growth hormone causes enlargement of the extremities and other tissues in adults.
Did you know?The term was coined in modern medical Latin/Greek in the 19th century, combining Greek akron (“extremity, highest point”) and megas (“great, large”), so its name is basically a clinical description of growth gone out of control.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
ákron
“the top, end, or extremity”
Ancient Greek
Greek
mégas
“great, large”
19th Century
French/Medical Latin
acromégalie
“a disease marked by abnormal enlargement of the hands, feet, and facial bones”
Late 19th Century
English
acromegaly
“the medical condition of abnormal enlargement of the extremities in adults”