Kyphometer
/kaɪˈfoʊ.mə.tər/noun
An instrument used to measure the degree of curvature in the upper spine, especially kyphosis.
Did you know?The first element comes from Ancient Greek kyphos, meaning “hump” or “bent,” the same root behind kyphosis, the spinal curvature it measures.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*keup-
“A reconstructed root associated with bending, crouching, or swelling; its descendants contributed to Greek kyphos.”
Ancient Greek
Greek
κῡφός (kyphos)
“Hump-backed, bent, or hunchbacked.”
Ancient Greek
Greek
μέτρον (metron)
“Measure, measuring device, or standard of measurement.”
19th Century
Medical Latin/Greek
kyphosis
“Abnormal outward curvature of the spine, formed from kyphos with the medical suffix -osis.”
20th Century
English
kyphometer
“A medical measuring instrument for quantifying spinal kyphosis.”
Explore more surprising origins