nosology

noun

no·​sol·​o·​gy nō-ˈsä-lə-jē How to pronounce nosology (audio) -ˈzä- How to pronounce nosology (audio)
1
: a classification or list of diseases
2
: a branch of medical science that deals with classification of diseases
nosological
ˌnō-sə-ˈlä-ji-kəl How to pronounce nosology (audio)
adjective
or nosologic
ˌnō-sə-ˈlä-jik How to pronounce nosology (audio)
nosologically
ˌnō-sə-ˈlä-ji-k(ə-)lē How to pronounce nosology (audio)
adverb

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from New Latin nosologia, from Greek nósos "disease" (of obscure origin) + -o- -o- + New Latin -logia -logy

Note: Attic Greek nósos is paralleled by Homeric and Ionic noûsos, suggesting an earlier *noswos, though the Ionic form (chiefly Herodotus) may be taken from Homer; then the possibility arises that noûsos in Homer should have been read *nóssos, in which case *noswos is out of the question. In any event, neither form leads to a plausible etymology.

First Known Use

circa 1721, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of nosology was circa 1721

Dictionary Entries Near nosology

nosocomial

nosology

no sooner

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Nosology.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nosology. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.

Copy Citation

Share

Medical Definition

nosology

noun
no·​sol·​o·​gy nō-ˈsäl-ə-jē How to pronounce nosology (audio) -ˈzäl- How to pronounce nosology (audio)
plural nosologies
1
: a classification or list of diseases
2
: a branch of medical science that deals with classification of diseases
nosological
ˌnō-sə-ˈläj-i-kəl How to pronounce nosology (audio)
adjective
or nosologic
-ik How to pronounce nosology (audio)
nosologically
-i-k(ə-)lē How to pronounce nosology (audio)
adverb
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See All

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Plural and Possessive Names: A Guide

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See All

Popular in Wordplay

See All

Terroir, Oenophile, & Magnum: Ten Words About Wine

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments

10 Words from Taylor Swift Songs (Merriam's Version)

9 Superb Owl Words

15 Words That Used to Mean Something Different
See All

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Word Game Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
little chihuahua dressing like a turkey for thanksgiving
Is That Gratitude or Attitude? A Thanksgiving Quiz Decide which words express gratitude and which gi...