Diabetes
/ˌdaɪ.əˈbiː.tiːz/noun
A medical condition in which the body has trouble regulating blood sugar.
Did you know?The term was coined in ancient medicine for the excessive urination characteristic of the disease, and it was later expanded to distinguish different forms of diabetes.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Gk
diabaínein
“to pass through, stride across”
Ancient Greek
Gk
diabḗtēs
“a straddling instrument; later, a siphon or tube for drawing off liquid”
1st Century CE
Greek
diabētēs
“a medical term for a condition characterized by excessive passing of urine”
Late Latin
Latin
diabetes
“a borrowed medical term for the disease”
16th Century
English
diabetes
“a disease marked by excessive urination and, later, by disordered blood sugar”
Explore more surprising origins