-itis
a suffix used in pathological terms that denote inflammation of an organ (bronchitis; gastritis; neuritis) and hence, in extended senses, nouns denoting abnormal states or conditions, excesses, tendencies, obsessions, etc. (telephonitis; baseballitis).
-itis
suffix
indicating inflammation of a specified part tonsillitis
(informal) indicating a preoccupation with or imaginary condition of illness caused by computeritis, telephonitis
word origin
-itis
noun suffix denoting diseases characterized by inflammation, mod.l., from gk. -itis, fem. of adj. suffix -ites “pertaining to.” fem. because it was used with fem. noun nosos “disease,” e.g. gk. arthritis (nosos) “(disease) of the joints.”
-itis suff.
inflammation or disease of: laryngitis.
-itis
a suffix meaning “inflammation,” as in bronchitis, inflammation of the bronchial tubes.
-itis
suffix
used to form nouns an excessive and probably unhealthy involvement with or prevalence of what is indicated: committeeitis/ symbolitis (1903+)
Read Also:
- -itive
a suffix occurring in substantives of latin origin: definitive; fugitive.
- -itol
chemistry a suffix used in names of alcohols containing more than one hydroxyl group: inositol. -itol suffix indicating that certain chemical compounds are polyhydric alcohols inisitol, sorbitol word origin
- -ity
a suffix used to form abstract nouns expressing state or condition: jollity; civility; latinity. -ity suffix indicating state or condition technicality word origin -ity suffix forming nouns from adjectives, meaning “condition or quality of being ______,” from m.e. -ite, from o.fr. -ité and directly from l. -itatem (nom. -itas), composed of connective -i- + -tas […]
- -ium
a suffix found on nouns borrowed from latin, especially derivatives of verbs (odium; tedium; colloquium; delirium), deverbal compounds with the initial element denoting the object of the verb (nasturtium), other types of compounds (equilibrium; millennium), and derivatives of personal nouns, often denoting the -ssociated status or office (collegium; consortium; magisterium); -ium, also occurs in scientific […]
- -ive
a suffix of adjectives (and nouns of adjectival origin) expressing tendency, disposition, function, connection, etc.: active; corrective; destructive; detective; p-ssive; sportive. -ive suffix (forming adjectives) indicating a tendency, inclination, character, or quality divisive, prohibitive, festive, m-ssive (forming nouns of adjectival origin) detective, expletive word origin -ive sufix forming adjectives from verbs, meaning “pertaining to, tending […]