Diathesis
Definition, Meaning & Examples
Pronunciation /daɪˈaθəsɪs/ · Part of speech noun
Quick meaning: Diathesis is a noun meaning (medicine) A hereditary or constitutional predisposition to a disease or other disorder.
Meaning
(medicine) A hereditary or constitutional predisposition to a disease or other disorder.
More Meanings
- (grammar) Voice (active or passive).
Example Sentences
When a coal miner developed the eye disease nystagmus, was this to be diagnosed as due to work conditions or to an inherent constitutional diathesis?
There are, however, distinct differences between diatheses and idiosyncrasies; diatheses definitely tend to the development of disease, for example the scrofulous diathesis of our forebears favours the onset of tuberculosis; idiosyncrasies are abnormal reactions but do not necessarily dispose to disease.
Medical materialism seems indeed a good appellation for the too simple-minded system of thought which we are considering. […] All such mental over-tensions, it says, are, when you come to the bottom of the matter, mere affairs of diathesis (auto-intoxications most probably), due to the perverted action of various glands which physiology will yet discover.
Word Forms
- diatheses
Related Words
Related dictionary entries include dartrous, strumous, dermatosis, herpetism, distemper, arthritism.
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Sources & Attribution
FreeDictionaryAPI.com / Wiktionary · Original source · CC BY-SA 4.0
Dictionary data is provided by FreeDictionaryAPI.com and sourced from Wiktionary under its stated license.