myelitis

noun

my·​e·​li·​tis ˌmī-ə-ˈlī-təs How to pronounce myelitis (audio)
plural myelitides ˌmī-ə-ˈli-tə-ˌdēz How to pronounce myelitis (audio)
: inflammation of the spinal cord or of the bone marrow

Examples of myelitis in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Wen: Acute flaccid myelitis is a condition that has only recently been named, in 2014. —Faye Chiu, CNN, 23 Sep. 2024 There were three cases of transverse myelitis—a condition where there is spinal cord inflammation—in people who received the vaccine. —Anju Goel, Verywell Health, 9 May 2024 In 2016, Jordison revealed that his exit from Slipknot coincided with his getting sick with a disease called transverse myelitis and claimed that his bandmates confused his medical issues with a substance abuse problem. —Mitchell Peters, Billboard, 5 Nov. 2023 Transverse myelitis is caused by a viral attack on the spinal cord, according to John Hopkins Medicine. —Jordan Greene, Peoplemag, 2 Nov. 2023 See all Example Sentences for myelitis 

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from New Latin (in German context), from Greek myelós "bone marrow" + New Latin -itis -itis — more at myelo-

Note: The word was apparently introduced by the German physician Christian Friedrich Harless (Harleß, in some of his publications Harles, 1773-1853) in "Valerian Aloys Brera über die Entzündung des Rückenmarks," Jahrbücher der teutschen Medicin und Chirurgie, 2. Band (1813), p. 244. Harless's essay purports to be a translation of "Della rachialgite - Cenni patologici" by the Italian physician Valeriano Luigi Brera (1772-1840), published in Atti dell'Accademia italiana di lettere, scienze, ed arti, tomo primo, parte prima, Livorno, 1810, pp. 247-76. Brera, however, uses only the word rachialgite for inflammation of the spinal chord, which Harless latinizes as Rhachialgitis. In a footnote introducing this word Harless adds: "Man könnte auch wohl, noch bezeichnender, für die Entzündung des Rückenmarks selbst den Namen Myelitis wählen, um so füglicher, weil μυελος bei Hippokrates, Galen, u.a. griech. Aertzen häufig ohne den Zusatz des Beiworts νωτιαιος (dorsalis) zur Bezeichnung des Rückenmarks gebraucht wird." ("One could as well also choose myelitis as a more aptly characterizing name for inflammation of the spinal marrow, the more justifiable because Hippocrates, Galen and other Greek physicians frequently used myelos without the addition of the modifying word nōtiaios (dorsalis [spinal]) as a designation for spinal marrow.")

First Known Use

1835, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of myelitis was in 1835

Phrases Containing myelitis

Dictionary Entries Near myelitis

myelin sheath

myelitis

myelo-

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Myelitis.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/myelitis. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.

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Medical Definition

myelitis

noun
my·​e·​li·​tis ˌmī-ə-ˈlīt-əs How to pronounce myelitis (audio)
plural myelitides -ˈlit-ə-ˌdēz How to pronounce myelitis (audio)
: inflammation of the spinal cord or of the bone marrow
myelitic
-ˈlit-ik How to pronounce myelitis (audio)
adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on myelitis

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about myelitis

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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