Splenomegaly
/ˌspliːnəˈmɛɡəli/noun
An abnormal enlargement of the spleen.
Did you know?This term is a modern medical coinage built from Greek roots, and that same ancient word for spleen also gave English the old idea of being “splenetic,” once linked to black bile and bad temper in humoral medicine.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
GRK
splḗn (σπλήν)
“spleen”
Ancient Greek
GRK
megas (μέγας)
“great, large”
Modern Scientific Latin
Latin
splenomegalia
“enlargement of the spleen”
19th Century
English
splenomegaly
“medical term for enlargement of the spleen”