Leptospirosis
/ˌlɛptəspaɪˈroʊsɪs/noun
A bacterial disease caused by Leptospira bacteria, often spread through water contaminated by animal urine.
Did you know?Leptospirosis is named from Greek leptos, “thin,” and speira, “coil,” because the bacteria are slender spirals, while the -osis ending marks a diseased condition.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
λεπτός (leptós)
“thin, fine, slender”
Ancient Greek
Greek
σπεῖρα (speîra)
“coil, twist, winding band”
Modern Scientific Latin
Latin
Leptospira
“genus name for slender spiral-shaped bacteria”
Late 19th Century
English
leptospirosis
“disease caused by Leptospira bacteria”