sclerosis

• POS: Noun
• HYPHEN: scle=ro=sis

CIDE DICTIONARY

sclerosis, n. [NL., fr. Gr. (, fr. sklhro`s hard.].

•  Induration; hardening; especially, that form of induration produced in an organ by increase of its interstitial connective tissue.  [1913 Webster]
•  Hardening of the cell wall by lignification.  [1913 Webster]

Cerebro-spinal sclerosis (Med.), an affection in which patches of hardening, produced by increase of the neuroglia and atrophy of the true nerve tissue, are found scattered throughout the brain and spinal cord. It is associated with complete or partial paralysis, a peculiar jerking tremor of the muscles, headache, and vertigo, and is usually fatal. Formerly referred to as multiple sclerosis, disseminated sclerosis, or insular sclerosis, but now usually called only multiple sclerosis, or MS.

OXFORD DICTIONARY

sclerosis, n.
1 an abnormal hardening of body tissue (see also ARTERIOSCLEROSIS, ATHEROSCLEROSIS).
2 (in full multiple or disseminated sclerosis) a chronic and progressive disease of the nervous system resulting in symptoms including paralysis and speech defects.
3 Bot. the hardening of a cell-wall with lignified matter.

Etymology

ME f. med.L f. Gk sklerosis f. skleroo harden

THESAURUS

sclerosis

abscess, ague, anemia, angina, angina pectoris, ankylosis, anoxia, aortic insufficiency, aortic stenosis, apnea, apoplectic stroke, apoplexy, arrhythmia, arteriosclerosis, asphyxiation, asthma, ataxia, atherosclerosis, atrial fibrillation, atrophy, auricular fibrillation, backache, beriberi heart, bleeding, blennorhea, cachexia, cachexy, calcification, callusing, cardiac arrest, cardiac insufficiency, cardiac shock, cardiac stenosis, cardiac thrombosis, carditis, case hardening, chill, chills, colic, concretion, congenital heart disease, constipation, convulsion, cor biloculare, cor juvenum, cor triatriatum, cornification, coronary, coronary insufficiency, coronary thrombosis, coughing, crystallization, cyanosis, diarrhea, diastolic hypertension, dizziness, dropsy, dysentery, dyspepsia, dyspnea, edema, emaciation, encased heart, endocarditis, extrasystole, fainting, fatigue, fatty heart, fever, fibrillation, fibroid heart, firming, flask-shaped heart, flux, fossilization, frosted heart, granulation, growth, hairy heart, hardening, heart attack, heart block, heart condition, heart disease, heart failure, hemorrhage, high blood pressure, hornification, hydrops, hypertension, hypertensive heart disease, hypotension, icterus, indigestion, induration, inflammation, insomnia, ischemic heart disease, itching, jaundice, labored breathing, lapidification, lithification, low blood pressure, lumbago, marasmus, mitral insufficiency, mitral stenosis, myocardial infarction, myocardial insufficiency, myocarditis, myovascular insufficiency, nasal discharge, nausea, necrosis, ossification, ox heart, pain, palpitation, paralysis, paralytic stroke, paroxysmal tachycardia, pericarditis, petrifaction, petrification, pile, premature beat, pruritus, pseudoaortic insufficiency, pulmonary insufficiency, pulmonary stenosis, rash, rheum, rheumatic heart disease, round heart, seizure, setting, shock, skin eruption, sneezing, solidification, sore, spasm, steeling, stiffening, stony heart, stroke, tabes, tachycardia, tempering, thrombosis, toughening, tricuspid insufficiency, tricuspid stenosis, tumor, turtle heart, upset stomach, varicose veins, varix, ventricular fibrillation, vertigo, vitrifaction, vitrification, vomiting, wasting