Poliomyelitis
/ˌpɒlɪəʊmaɪəˈlaɪtɪs/ noun
noun ·Uncommon ·Advanced level
Definitions
Noun
- 1 Acute infection by the poliovirus, especially of the motor neurons in the spinal cord and brainstem, leading to muscle weakness, paralysis and sometimes deformity. countable, uncountable
- 2 an acute viral disease marked by inflammation of nerve cells of the brain stem and spinal cord wordnet
Example
More examples"Poliomyelitis, commonly shortened to polio, is an infectious disease which is highly contagious."
Etymology
Borrowed from German Poliomyelitis, from the Ancient Greek πολιός (poliós, “grey”) + μυελός (muelós, “marrow”) + -ῖτις (-îtis, “-itis”). Compare French poliomyélite.