Epididymite

/ˌɛpɪˈdɪdɪmaɪt/ noun

Definition

A person who has inflammation of the epididymis; also may refer to a mineral containing epididymal-related compounds (rarely).

Etymology

From epididymal + '-ite' (person with condition or mineral suffix). The medical use emerged in 19th-century pathology to describe patients with epididymal inflammation.

Kelly Says

The '-ite' suffix is overloaded in English—it can mean 'person with this condition,' 'someone who believes this,' or even 'a mineral'—so context is everything!

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