Tophaceous
/ˈtɒf.iˈeɪ.ʃəs/noun
Having the nature of, or containing, tophi; marked by chalky deposits, especially in gout.
Did you know?Tophaceous comes from Latin tophus, meaning a porous stone or tufa, and medical writers used it for the gritty, rock-like nodules of gout—turning a body symptom into a word for stone.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
GR
tóphos
“A porous stone or rock.”
Classical Latin
LAT
tophus
“A porous stone, tufa.”
Late Latin
LAT
tophaceus
“Stony; of the nature of tufa or stone.”
16th Century
EN
tophaceous
“Resembling or made of tufa; later, containing gouty deposits.”
Modern English
EN
tophaceous
“Containing or characterized by tophi, especially in gout.”