Varus
/ˈvɛərəs/noun
A medical term describing a deformity in which a body part angles inward toward the body's midline.
Did you know?Roman writers used varus for bow-leggedness, while modern medicine preserves the Latin term in conditions such as genu varum, or bowlegs.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*wer-
“To turn, bend, or twist”
Ancient Latin
Latin
varus
“Bent, crooked, or bow-legged”
Classical Latin
Latin
genu varum
“A bent or inward-angled knee”
18th Century
Medical Latin
varus
“A deformity characterized by inward deviation of a body part”
Modern English
English
varus
“An inward angulation or deformity in anatomy”