Osteoporotic

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /ˌɒstiəʊpəˈɹɒtɪk/

Definitions

1. Characterized by a disorder resulting in brittle and fragile bones that lack strength and density
2. Pertaining to a health condition marked by significant loss of bone mass, which makes bones susceptible to fractures and decreases their overall strength
3. Describing bones weakened by reduced density, making them fragile and prone to breaking

Etymology: Osteoporosis is built from the Greek "osteon," meaning bone, and "poros," meaning pore or passage, with the suffix "-osis" marking a diseased condition. The name describes what happens to the skeleton: as bone mass declines, its internal lattice thins and the spaces within it widen, leaving the framework porous and fragile. The adjective is formed with the suffix "-otic," which turns a noun for a condition into a word describing something affected by it, as in "neurotic" from "neurosis." An osteoporotic bone is therefore one that has lost density and breaks easily.