Diarrhoeic

/ˌdaɪəˈroʊɪk/ adjective

Definition

British spelling variant of 'diarrheic'; relating to diarrhea using the alternative Greek spelling.

Etymology

From British 'diarrhoea' (Greek 'diarrhoia') + suffix '-ic', preserving the traditional '-oe-' spelling pattern common in older English medical terminology.

Kelly Says

If you see 'diarrhoeic' in modern text, it's almost certainly from a British or Commonwealth publication—it's a spelling fossil showing how English regions kept different versions of Greek-derived words.

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