cirrosis

cirrhosis

noun see-RROH-sees Rare

Origin: From Greek kirrhos (tawny, orange-yellow), describing the colour of the diseased liver.

Usage Note

Cirrosis is an invariable noun in Spanish: the singular and plural are identical (la cirrosis, las cirrosis), following the rule for words ending in an unstressed -is. It is always feminine: la cirrosis hepática (liver cirrhosis). While most commonly caused by chronic alcohol use, the term in medical Spanish also covers viral and autoimmune causes, so cirrosis alcohólica is used when specificity is needed.

Examples

"El médico le diagnosticó cirrosis hepática."

Natural Translation

The doctor diagnosed him with liver cirrhosis.

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