Algoman

/ˈælɡoʊmæn/ noun

Definition

A person (specifically a man) who is excessively sensitive to pain or who experiences pain easily.

Etymology

From Greek algos (pain) + English -man (male person). This archaic or rare term combines the Greek root with English morphology, following patterns of medical terminology from the 19th-early 20th centuries.

Kelly Says

This word is basically obsolete now, but it reveals how older medical texts tried to categorize people by their pain sensitivity—today we'd never classify someone this way, as we understand pain involves complex psychology, not just physiology.

Ethical Language Guidance

Gender History

The -man suffix defaulted masculine occupational terms by convention, making gender visible where modern usage prefers neutral forms like '-person' or '-ist' variants.

Inclusive Usage

Use 'algologist' or 'alga specialist' for gender-neutral reference to practitioners.

Inclusive Alternatives

["algologist","alga specialist"]

Related Words

Explore More Words

Get the Word Orb API

Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.