Hypoxia
/haɪˈpɒk.si.ə/noun
A condition in which the body or a region of the body is deprived of adequate oxygen.
Did you know?The second half of hypoxia comes from Greek oxys, the same root behind oxygen, which was named in the 1700s as the “acid-former” because scientists thought oxygen made acids.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
hypó
“under; beneath”
Ancient Greek
Greek
oxýs
“sharp, acute; later used in compounds for oxygen-related terms”
19th Century
English
hypoxia
“a condition of deficient oxygen in the body or a tissue”
Modern English
English
hypoxia
“insufficient oxygen in the blood or tissues”