acromegaly
Acromegaly (noun) means a chronic disease in which the bones of the hands, feet, face and jaw grow larger, caused by an overactive pituitary gland. Example: “Acromegaly is a long-term condition that a doctor has to manage.”
How to use acromegaly
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA long-term illness that makes the bones of the hands, feet, face and jaw grow larger.
It is a technical medical term, found mainly in medical writing and conversation.
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
_____ is a long-term condition that a doctor has to manage.
Etymology
English took the word from French acromégalie, which came from New Latin acromegalia. That was built from Ancient Greek words meaning tip or extremity and large.