Oedema
/ɪˈdiːmə/noun
A condition in which excess fluid collects in the body's tissues, causing swelling.
Did you know?The word comes from Ancient Greek οἴδημα, meaning “swelling,” and entered medical Latin before becoming the British spelling “oedema”; American English usually writes “edema.”
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
οἰδέω (oideō)
“I swell or become swollen”
Ancient Greek
Greek
οἴδημα (oídēma)
“A swelling or swollen condition”
Late Antiquity
Latin
oedema
“A swelling, especially bodily swelling”
17th Century
New Latin
oedema
“A medical term for abnormal accumulation of fluid in tissue”
18th Century
English
oedema
“Swelling caused by fluid in the tissues”
Modern English
English
oedema
“The standard British spelling; “edema” is the usual American spelling”