Scoliosis
/ˌskɒliˈoʊsɪs/noun
A sideways curvature of the spine.
Did you know?Scoliosis comes from Greek skolios, meaning “crooked” or “bent,” the same ancient root behind words tied to twist, bend, and deviation.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
skoliós
“crooked, curved, bent”
Ancient Greek
Greek
skoliōsis
“a crooked or curved condition”
Late Latin
Latin
scoliosis
“a medical term for abnormal curvature”
16th-19th Century
English
scoliosis
“used in medical writing for lateral curvature of the spine”
Modern English
English
scoliosis
“a sideways curvature of the spine”