Gonorrhea
/ˌɡɒn.əˈriː.ə/noun
A sexually transmitted infection that can infect the genitals, rectum, and throat.
Did you know?The word entered English through Latin medical writing from Greek gonorrhoia, and the ancient name reflects a now-abandoned theory that the discharge was semen escaping uncontrollably.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
gonorrhoia
““Seed flow,” from gonos (“seed, generation”) + rhoia (“flow”).”
Late Greek / Roman Era
Latin
gonorrhoea
“A medical term for a purulent urethral discharge, based on the mistaken belief that it was semen-like fluid.”
Middle English
English
gonorrhoea
“A learned medical borrowing used in scholarly and medical contexts.”
Modern English
English
gonorrhea
“The standard modern spelling for the sexually transmitted infection caused by Neisseria gonorrhoeae.”