Gangrene
/ˈɡæŋɡriːn/noun
A serious condition in which body tissue dies, usually because of loss of blood supply or infection.
Did you know?Gangrene ultimately comes from Greek gangraina, a term ancient doctors used for tissue that seemed to be “eaten away,” and it is related to the same Indo-European root behind words for gnawing and chewing.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*ǵenh₁-
“to gnaw, bite”
Ancient Greek
Greek
γάγγραινα (gangraina)
“an eating sore or mortification of tissue”
Late Latin
Latin
gangraena
“gangrene, a spreading flesh-eating condition”
Old French
Old French
gangrene
“gangrene”
Middle English
English
gangrene
“gangrene; tissue death from disease or loss of blood supply”
Modern English
English
gangrene
“dead or decaying body tissue, especially from loss of blood flow or infection”