noun · uncountable

rachitis

rach·i·tis

RicketsRickets.

/ɹəˈkaɪtɪs/

Meaning

2 senses

(uncountable)Rickets.
(uncountable)A disease that produces abortion in the flower, seed, or fruit.

More definitions

inflammation of the vertebral column
childhood disease caused by deficiency of vitamin D and sunlight associated with impaired metabolism of calcium and phosphorus

Origin

Unadapted borrowing from New Latin rachitis, used by the British physician Francis Glisson

Unadapted borrowing from New Latin rachitis, used by the British physician Francis Glisson (1597–1677) to refer to rickets, from Koine Greek ῥαχῖτις (rhakhîtis) (in ῥαχῖτις νόσος (rhakhîtis nósos, “spinal inflammation”, literally “spinal disease”)), the feminine form of ῥαχίτης (rhakhítēs, “in or of the spine, spinal”), from Ancient Greek ῥάχῐς (rhákhĭs, “lower part of the back; (anatomy) backbone, spine”) (probably ultimately Pre-Greek) + -ῖτις (-îtis) (feminine form of -ῑ́της (-ī́tēs, suffix forming nouns with the sense ‘one connected to’)). By surface analysis, rach- + -itis.

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