Atresias

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A medical condition characterized by the absence or closure of a natural bodily passage or cavity
2. A congenital defect where an organ or part is not fully developed, leading to obstruction
3. An anatomical anomaly in which a normal passage does not form or is blocked, often affecting the digestive or reproductive system

Etymology: "Atresias" is simply the plural of "atresia," a medical term for a passage in the body that is abnormally closed or missing, such as an opening that never formed before birth. The singular names the condition and the plural refers to several cases or several such conditions. The noun "atresia" comes from Latin, where it was borrowed from Ancient Greek. Its parts are the Greek prefix "a-," meaning "not" or "without," and "trêsis," meaning "perforation" or "boring through." Put together, the literal sense is "not perforated," a body opening that was never bored through. The Greek root "trêsis" comes from a verb meaning "to pierce," so the word's core idea is the absence of a hole.