Ichorism
/ˈaɪ.kə.rɪz.əm/noun
A pathological condition characterized historically by thin, watery, or ichorous blood.
Did you know?Its core word, “ichor,” was the mysterious fluid said to flow through the veins of Greek gods instead of ordinary human blood.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
ἰχώρ (ikhṓr)
“The ethereal fluid believed to circulate in the bodies of the gods”
16th Century
English
ichor
“A thin, watery, offensive discharge from a wound; later, the divine fluid of classical mythology”
17th Century
English
ichorous
“Resembling or containing ichor, especially describing a thin or foul discharge”
19th Century
English
ichorism
“A morbid condition in which the blood was considered thin and watery”
Modern English
English
ichorism
“A rare historical medical term for an ichor-like blood condition”
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