Gravedo

/ɡrəˈveɪdoʊ/ noun

Definition

An archaic medical term for a stuffy nose or nasal obstruction, or heaviness in the head.

Etymology

From Latin gravedo, derived from gravis meaning 'heavy,' applied medically to the sensation of heaviness in the head associated with nasal congestion or colds.

Kelly Says

Medieval doctors described being stuffy as having 'gravedo'—literally, the 'heaviness' condition—which shows how they thought about illness in terms of physical sensations rather than germ theory.

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