paleopathology

noun

pa·​leo·​pa·​thol·​o·​gy ˌpā-lē-ō-pə-ˈthä-lə-jē How to pronounce paleopathology (audio)
-pa-ˈthä-,
 especially British  ˌpa-lē-
: a branch of pathology concerned with ancient diseases as evidenced especially in fossil or other remains
paleopathological adjective
paleopathologist noun

Examples of paleopathology in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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The Kanam jaw, discovered in Kenya in 1932 by Louis Leakey, was my portal into the world of paleopathology and, in particular, the obscure sub discipline of paleo-oncology -- the search for the ancient roots of cancer. George Johnson, Discover Magazine, 23 June 2013 The plague of Athens: epidemiology and paleopathology. Rebecca Kreston, Discover Magazine, 31 May 2016 Like us, dinosaurs got sick but evidence of disease and infection in the fossil record -- a field known as paleopathology -- has been scant. Katie Hunt, CNN, 13 Feb. 2020

Word History

Etymology

paleo- + pathology

First Known Use

1893, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of paleopathology was in 1893

Dictionary Entries Near paleopathology

Cite this Entry

“Paleopathology.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/paleopathology. Accessed 15 Dec. 2024.

Medical Definition

paleopathology

noun
pa·​leo·​pa·​thol·​o·​gy
variants or chiefly British palaeopathology
plural paleopathologies
: a branch of pathology concerned with diseases of former times as determined especially from fossil or other remains
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