Rachitic
/rəˈkɪtɪk/noun
Relating to or affected by rickets, a disease that causes softening and weakening of bones.
Did you know?Rachitic comes from the same Greek root as rickets, ultimately tied to the idea of the spine or backbone, showing how old medical words often began as vivid body-image terms.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
ῥάχις (rháchis)
“Backbone; spine; ridge”
Late Latin
Latin
rachitis
“Inflammation or disease of the spine; later used in medical contexts for rickets”
16th–17th Century
Latin/Medical English
rachiticus
“Pertaining to the spine or to rickets”
18th Century
English
rachitic
“Affected by or characteristic of rickets”
Modern English
English
rachitic
“Relating to or affected by rickets”