Cachexia
/kəˈkɛk.si.ə/noun
A severe wasting syndrome marked by weight loss, muscle loss, and weakness, often associated with chronic illness.
Did you know?The word comes from Greek kakos (“bad”) + hexis (“state/condition”), so the original meaning was bluntly philosophical: a “bad state” of the body.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
kakḕ héxis
“a bad state or condition, especially of the body”
Late Latin
Latin
cachexia
“wasting disease or unhealthy bodily condition”
Middle French
French
cachexie
“cachexia; wasting condition”
16th–17th Century
English
cachexia
“a wasting disorder or unhealthy bodily state”
Modern English
English
cachexia
“severe wasting syndrome associated with chronic disease”