Relating to or characterized by atresia, which is the absence or closure of a normal body opening or passage that should be open.
From atresia (Greek a- 'without' + tresis 'opening'), combined with -ic suffix meaning 'relating to'. The term emerged in 19th-century medical terminology to describe congenital developmental abnormalities.
This word reveals how doctors use Greek building blocks to describe birth defects—'a-' meaning 'without' and 'tresis' meaning 'hole,' so when you hear 'atresic,' it literally means something is missing an opening it should have.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.