Glomerulonephritis

/ˌɡlɑmərjuːloʊnəˈfraɪtɪs/ noun

Definition

A kidney disease involving inflammation of the glomeruli, which damages the filtering units and can lead to kidney failure if untreated.

Etymology

From glomerulo- (relating to glomeruli) plus nephr- (kidney) plus -itis (inflammation). A compound medical term describing kidney-specific inflammation.

Kelly Says

Glomerulonephritis affects about 3 million people worldwide and can be caused by strep infections, lupus, or your immune system attacking itself—it's literally your body's defense team fighting its own organs.

Related Words

Explore More Words

Get the Word Orb API

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