Sclerosis
/skləˈroʊsɪs/noun
An abnormal hardening of body tissue, especially due to disease.
Did you know?Sclerosis comes from Greek skleros, meaning “hard,” the same root behind words for rigid, harsh, and even the old medical idea of tissues turning stone-like.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*skel-
“to be hard, dry, or stiff”
Ancient Greek
Greek
σκληρός (sklērós)
“hard, rough, stubborn”
Ancient Greek
Greek
σκλήρωσις (sklḗrōsis)
“hardening, induration”
Late Latin
Latin
sclerosis
“hardening, especially of a bodily tissue”
Modern English
English
sclerosis
“pathological hardening of a tissue or organ”
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