Rhabdomyolysis
/ˌræb.doʊ.maɪˈɒl.ɪ.sɪs/noun
The breakdown of skeletal muscle tissue, which can release damaging contents into the bloodstream.
Did you know?The term draws on Greek words for “rod” or “stripe,” “muscle,” and “loosening,” while the condition became especially associated with crush injuries during wartime disasters.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
ῥάβδος (rhabdos)
“Rod, staff, or stripe; the source of the combining form rhabdo-.”
Ancient Greek
Greek
μῦς (mys)
“Muscle; literally also a mouse, reflecting an ancient comparison between a moving muscle and a small animal.”
Ancient Greek
Greek
λύσις (lysis)
“Loosening, dissolution, or release.”
19th Century
Scientific Greek
rhabdomyo-
“A modern medical combining form meaning skeletal or striated muscle.”
20th Century
Medical English
rhabdomyolysis
“The pathological dissolution or breakdown of skeletal muscle tissue.”