Oliguric

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Characterized by a medical state in which urine formation is considerably diminished Pertaining to a condition that results in the excretion of very little urine Describing a physiological situation marked by a notable scarcity of urine output
2. Referring to a condition where urine production is significantly reduced, indicating impaired kidney function
3. Descriptive of a state involving an abnormally low volume of urine released from the body over time

Etymology: "Oliguric" is an adjective built from "oliguria," which itself combines two Greek elements: "oligos," meaning "few" or "small," and "ouron," meaning "urine." The Greek roots are straightforward, so the notable part is the construction: the medical term "oliguria" was assembled from classical pieces, as scientific vocabulary of this kind usually was, rather than inherited from the ancient Greeks, who did not use it. The suffix "-ic" is the familiar Greek-derived adjective ending, attached to "oliguria" to turn the condition into a description of something that has it. So "oliguric" describes a patient, a kidney, or a state of the body, rather than the condition itself.