Geriatric
/ˌdʒɛr.iˈætrɪk/noun
Relating to old age or the medical care of older adults.
Did you know?The word was coined in modern medical English from Greek roots, linking old age with medicine rather than with any occult meaning—though its root gerōn also gave English words like gerontology and even the surname element in names such as Gerald.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
gérōn (γέρων)
“old man, elder”
Ancient Greek
Greek
iatrikós (ἰατρικός)
“medical, of healing”
19th–20th Century
English
geriatric
“relating to the medical care of old age”
Modern English
English
geriatric
“relating to old age, especially in medicine or healthcare”
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