Glossosteresis

/ˌɡlɔːsoʊstəˈriːsɪs/ noun

Definition

A medical condition involving the loss, deprivation, or absence of the sense of taste or tongue sensation.

Etymology

From Greek 'glōssa' (tongue) and 'steresis' (loss, deprivation, or want). The term is an extremely rare medical coinage that precisely describes the loss of gustatory or tactile function in the tongue.

Kelly Says

This hyper-specific medical word reminds us that loss has its own vocabulary—steresis is an old philosophical term meaning deprivation, and doctors borrowed it to describe when your tongue stops working properly.

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